Solving the E-Waste Problem (StEP) Initiative – Towards sustainable solutions Jean Cox-Kearns, Dell E-waste Management Forum November 2010, Marrakech, Morocco

StEP – SOLVING THE E-WASTE PROBLEM2 StEP...  Functions as a network of actors who share experiences and best practices,  Carries out research and development projects,  Disseminates experiences, best practices and recommendations. StEP Objective Solving the E-waste Problem (StEP) Initiative was created to…  Initiate and facilitate environmentally, economically & socially sound approaches to reduce e-waste flows and handle them in a sustainable way around the globe.

StEP – SOLVING THE E-WASTE PROBLEM3 Volumes: Increasing sales of electronics, decreasing lifetimes App. 42 million tonnes e-waste generated worldwide EU-27 in 2009: 10.6 Mt on market, app. 8.8 million tons generated, only 2.9 million tons 'officially collected' Exports: As donations/2nd hand, often illegal Mainly to Asia (China, India, Pakistan, Vietnam), Africa (Nigeria & neighboring Western Africa, Northern Africa), Eastern Europe E-Waste - A Significant Challenge

StEP – SOLVING THE E-WASTE PROBLEM4 Dangers Re-use/repair of some devices, but low probability of state-of-art recycling at end-of-life Backyard recycling with high environmental & health impacts and low yields /efficiency Soil & water contamination from chemical disposal Toxic emissions from burning of materials E-Waste - A Significant Challenge ©Empa, Switzerland Total Au-recovery efficiency only  25%, while environmental & health damage is dramatic (Rochat, Keller, EMPA 2007) Total Au-recovery efficiency only  25%, while environmental & health damage is dramatic (Rochat, Keller, EMPA 2007)

StEP – SOLVING THE E-WASTE PROBLEM5 StEP Core Principles 1.StEP's work is founded on scientific assessments including social, environmental and economic aspects 2.StEP conducts research on the entire life-cycle of electronic and electrical equipment 3.StEP's research and pilot projects are meant to contribute to the solution of e-waste problems 4.StEP condemns all illegal activities related to e-waste including illegal shipments 5.StEP seeks to foster safe and eco/energy-efficient reuse and recycling practices around the globe in a socially responsible manner

Membership StEP invites pro-active:  Companies;  Governmental Organisations;  Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs);  International Organisations; and  Academic Institutions from around the world to become a member Members have to agree to the StEP principles through signing a Memorandum of Understanding

Membership Overview (November 2010)  International Organisations  Basel Convention Coordinating Centre For Training and Technology Transfer For The African Region  Basel Convention Coordinating Centre for Asia & the Pacific  Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE)  Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC)  United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)  United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)  United Nations Industrial Deelopment Organization (UNIDO)  United Nations University (UNU)  MicroPro  National Center for Electronics Recycling  Nokia  Philips Consumer Lifestyle  PT PLUS KG  Renewable Recyclers  Sims Recycling Solutions  Taizhou Chiho Tiande  Umicore Precious Metal Refining  Governmental and Development Cooperation  German Technical Cooperation (GTZ)  Swiss State Secretariat of Economics (SECO)  United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA)  Enda Europe*  Academia & Research  Austrian Society for Systems Engineering and Automation (SAT)  BIO Intelligence Service  Chinese Acadamy of Sciences (CAS)  Delft University of Technology  GAIKER Foundation  Griffith University  Institute for Applied Ecology (Öko-Institut)  Federal Laboratory for Materials Testing and Research (EMPA)  Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration (IZM)  Korea Institute of Geoscience & Mineral Resources (KIGAM)  Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)  Rifer Environmental  Sustainable Electronic Initiative at the University of Illinois  Technical University of Braunschweig  Techsoup  TELECOM & Management Sud Paris  Thai Electrical and Electronic Institute  University of Limerick  WEEE Forum*  3P Consortium for Sustainable Management  Industry  AER Worldwide  Cisco Systems Ltd.  Compliance & Risks  Dataserv Ltd.  Datec Technologies  Dell  Ericsson  Flection  GOAB mbH  Hewlett Packard (HP) * Associate Member

StEP – SOLVING THE E-WASTE PROBLEM8 SECRETARIAT (UNU) STEERING COMMITTEE StEP GENERAL ASSEMBLY How we work… Analyzes the status of existing policy approaches on e-waste, and elaborates policy recommendations for future developments... … dedicated to product design aspects to reduce negative impacts of the entire life cycle of electronics… … defines globally consistent “re-use” practices and standards to enhance re-use opportunities, change consumer behaviour & reduce „sham re-use“… … overall aim is to enhance global recycling infrastructures and technologies to realise a sustainable e- waste recycling… … aims at increasing public, scientific and business awareness, disseminating the results of TFs 1 – 4 and engage in training…

StEP – SOLVING THE E-WASTE PROBLEM StEP – SOLVING THE E-WASTE PROBLEM9 Selected Work Results: Publications

10 Contents:  Basic Principles  Key Requirements  Their Auditing and Certification  National and International Implementation of Standards  WP is NOT a standard!  WP gives guidance to stakeholders setting up standards  WP shall reflect StEP‘s position on what standards should regulate and how they should be implemented  Final review round, publication expected by end of this year Selected Work Results: WP EOL Standard StEP White Paper `Standards for EoL-Operations of EEE`

Project: Best practices in Reuse Seed funded StEP project of TF ReUse Joint project supervision by EMPA and Technical University Braunschweig Objectives: 1.Develop a generic description form for reuse business models 2.Identify generic barriers and success factors for reuse business models 3.Provide the basis for the development of a global certification standard for reuse business models Project subgroup formed, consisting of:  Claudia Lüpschen (UNU)  Tobias Luger (TU Braunschweig)  Stefan Andrew (TU Braunschweig)  John Dickenson (AER Worldwide)  Colin Fitzpatrick (University of Limerick)  Maurice O’Connell (University of Limerick) StEP – SOLVING THE E-WASTE PROBLEM11 Selected Work Results: Best Practices in Reuse  Jean Cox-Kearns (Dell)  Marie Zide (Ericsson)  Clementine O'Connor (Bio Intelligence Service)  Heinz Böni (EMPA)  Ramon Kissling (EMPA)  Project kick-off in mid August 2010, final report due in February 2011

StEP – SOLVING THE E-WASTE PROBLEM12 Selected Work Results: E-waste Summer School StEP – SOLVING THE E-WASTE PROBLEM12 Promote innovative scientific e-waste research Establish an international research agenda Develop a multidisciplinary network of young scholars Link young researchers to experts from industry, academia and policy decision- making Summer School 2010: 29 August – 7 September 2010 in Eindhoven/Hoboken Expert lectures, workshops and groupwork Organised by United Nations University Supported by NVMP, Philips, Empa and Umicore NVMP-StEP E-waste Summer School Series 2009 & 2010  Concept for Summer School Series 2011/2012 under revision  Potentially alternating target groups (SME‘s & government officials)

Recycling Trainer-online: What is it? Web-based multimedia self-learning / training and information system for e-waste recycling Developed by StEP member Goab: Database structure Web-utilization via DSL-connection Learning-management-system allows user-specific configuration through a training instructor System provides possibility to create user-specific multiple-choice- tests Currently available in German and English At this time content based on EU guidelines (WEEE) Selected Work Results: Recycling Trainer StEP – SOLVING THE E-WASTE PROBLEM13

Selected Work Results: Recycling Trainer Primary target group Mainly new employees in e-waste recycling…...often: - unskilled, without knowledge/experience in recycling - with poor knowledge of the national language - without PC experience ? Philosophy of Recycling-Trainer - Highest possible visualization of the topics - Providing knowledge through combination of picture, video, text and audio - Short clear texts, clear, slowly spoken language - Clear, well arranged design of operational controls - Modular structure of contents, easy to exchange or to supplement StEP – SOLVING THE E-WASTE PROBLEM14  Revision/extension of Recycling Trainer-online for use in developing countries  Project proposal for revision ready, funding acquisition ongoing

Selected Work Results: ADDRESS  Objectives:  To inform e-waste related research with up-to-date and solid data on e-waste globally  To enable policy-makers to make better informed decisions  Part 1: Global e-waste amounts Provide data for science-/data-based research work on e-waste globally  1a. Input module, data inventory  1b. Modelling module  1c. Presentation / reporting on global quantities  Part 2: Country benchmarking Provide feedback to various regions in the world on details and best practices as well as the performance per country over time  2a. Benchmark development and application  2b. Publishing Benchmark outcomes  Part 3: Information Hub Providing e-waste related information online per country over time  3a. Gathering country info  3b. Publishing the global e-waste status annually StEP – SOLVING THE E-WASTE PROBLEM 15 ADDRESS: Annual Dynamic Digital Reporting on the global E-waSte Status

StEP – SOLVING THE E-WASTE PROBLEM16 Selected Work Results: ADDRESS ADDRESS subgroup:  CEDARE  C&R  EMPA  WEEE Forum  MIT  TELECOM & Man.  Thai EEI  Umicore  UNU  US-EPA  Next steps:  Vision! Break down into smaller tasks (e.g. regional proposals)

StEP – SOLVING THE E-WASTE PROBLEM17 Conclusions Knowledge hub for e-waste related issues International e-waste knowledge transfer Multi-stakeholder approach Holistic view Based on scientific assessment Pragmatic and problem-oriented

StEP – SOLVING THE E-WASTE PROBLEM18 StEP Secretariat c/o UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY Institute for Sustainability and Peace (UNU-ISP SCYCLE) Bonn / Germany / CONTACT