Tinkering With An E-Waste Strategy

Every day between 68,500 and 137,000 tonnes of electronic waste (e-waste) are generated across the globe. It is the fastest growing waste stream in the world. Assuming Wikipedia is right on its tonnage weights for shipping containers, that's enough to fill 2,000 40 foot containers per day. The reason I reference shipping containers is because the majority of e-waste is exported out of country for processing, quite often to Africa.

E-waste is hazardous and so there are international laws the govern the e-waste trade (the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions primarily). There are also regional laws and restrictions for the disposition of e-waste like the WEEE Directive for the UK and the EU.  These laws are meant to ensure that e-waste is disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner and to give countries the right to refuse shipments if they lack that capability. But there are two problems...market-based incentives and illegal export.

The market for gold, silver, scrap metal and sometimes plastic is strong enough that it makes processing e-waste a profitable business, particularly in places where labor is cheap. These countries generally do not have a mechanized waste collection and management infrastructure in place and so they rely on informal labor markets (scavenging) and environmentally toxic processing techniques. These techniques can reclaim most of the scrap metal, plastic, and glass, but very little if any of the highly valuable precious metals and rare earth minerals that most electronics contain.

Some African countries, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of e-waste arriving in their ports, have begun to crack down on illegal shipments. Other countries, like Uganda, have implemented import bans. The problem with import bans (at least with Uganda's) is that it is not selective. It bans the import of all used electronics into the country. The import ban has resulted in a wider "digital divide" between the wealthy who can afford new electronics and the poor who cannot. It has also resulted in an increase in the supply of cheap but highly unreliable new electronics, and has effectively shut down social enterprises, like Camara, who rely on a used computer model, to operate within the country.

This was one of the first discussion topics that came up when I began to work with Camara on an end-of-life disposition strategy for their computers here in Uganda and the other countries that they operate in. The other discussion topic was the sheer lack of responsible e-waste processing options. Here in Uganda that's certainly the case. It's also the case in Zambia, Lesotho, Jamaica, and Haiti, and while options do exist in Rwanda, Tanzania and Ethiopia, they are very new and not yet governed by policy. Because of this it's difficult to determine whether they are really as responsible as they claim to be.

Studies have shown that when there are no options for processing e-waste, it tends to accumulate. So imagine the situation here in Uganda and in many other countries where there is literally a ticking time bomb of hazardous waste building up in households and businesses across the country. It's not good. And it doesn't have to be this way.

Kenya is a good example of a country working toward a sustainable e-waste processing system, having implemented both e-waste policies and responsible recycling options. The other countries mentioned above that have implemented responsible recycling are quickly following with e-waste policies as well. It may be a while though before these countries reach Irish standards. In Ireland if you want to recycle electronics you can just take them to one of the regularly scheduled "drop off" events.

E-Waste Strategy Development On A Refurbished Computer

Or if you want to dispose of a computer, you can choose an option even more responsible than recycling by dropping it off at one of Camara's collection sites. Camara gives new life to old computers by refurbishing them, loading educational software on them, and then shipping them to service hubs for distribution to schools. The maintenance agreement on the computers provides teacher training and hardware maintenance for the refurbished PCs. At the next end-of-life (within three to five years) Camara collects and recycles the computers. And herein lies the challenge that I've been tasked with - finding a responsible computer disposal solution in countries where, at least today, no solution currently exists.

It's a challenge that must be solved because at its core Camara is an environmentally responsible social enterprise. They just recently completed ISO 14001 accreditation which formalized many of the good environmental practices they already had in place. These practices are part of an organizational ethos that does not allow computers to be dumped and burned at the end of their useful lives. Nor does it allow computers to be "recycled" using acid baths and open fires that poison the air and water sources of entire communities. These toxic practices are in place today in many African countries.

So for the past two months I've been working with the experts at Camara to find a way to responsibly dispose of every computer they reclaim. And while difficult, so far it hasn't been an impossible task thanks to the support I've received from the organization. They recognize the challenge and are committed to finding a sustainable solution. 

The one problem has been that there are fery few recycling options for CRT monitors anywhere in the world. Camara is eliminating CRT use in their operations, but there are several thousand that have already been sent out that will eventually need to be disposed of. To ensure these monitors are properly recycled we're exploring the idea of consolidating and exporting them to responsible recyclers in South Africa for the African countries, and to the US for the Caribbean countries. I'm still investigating the export restrictions and costs though...if anyone reading this has more information or a better solution, please post a comment.

Finally, this whole situation raises a thought provoking question. How do you extend the total life of a computer even beyond what Camara has already done? The best solution of all is an infinite lifecycle. And thinking this way creates some interesting options. There is a "tinkering society" emerging in many countries where obsolete equipment is reinvented as completely new technology. Vinay Venkatraman describes this in his recent TedTalk. Is it possible for Camara to utilize this to further extend the life of their computers? It's certainly an idea worth exploring.

In a month or so I will wrap this project up, and I have to say I've learned a lot. Several years ago I worked as part of a team to develop a similar strategy for my previous employer and found it to be a frustrating task because of the size and complexity of the US operation. Now I think the previous task was relatively simple compared to what Camara faces. But hidden quietly away in this challenge is an incredible opportunity for innovation. Wouldn't it be amazing if Camara was able to not just educate hundreds of thousands of children around the world, but in doing so to also fundamentally redefine the technology lifecycle?