Investment in collection and recycling infrastructure could generate US$38 billion in annual economic benefits by 2030, including by improving human health, protecting valuable ecosystems and spurring the recycling industry, finds a report by the UN Institute for Training and Research and the International Telecommunication Union.
These actions can trigger far-reaching benefits, extending the lifespan of electronics, reducing demand for newer products and lessening the environmental burden of manufacturing, ultimately creating a greener technology industry.
Global collaboration is also essential, say experts, as electronic waste is a transboundary issue that disproportionately affects middle- and low-income countries.
High-income countries sent some 3.3 billion kilograms of e-waste and used electronics to middle- and low-income countries through uncontrolled transboundary movements in 2022.
On January 1, an amendment to the Basel Convention, an international treaty regulating the transboundary movement and disposal of hazardous waste, came into effect, which could alter the electronic-waste landscape.
Parties to the convention—including 190 countries and the European Union—must now seek prior informed consent before transporting electronics and electronic waste to other countries.
“This amendment represents a landmark step in reducing the environmental and health impacts of e-waste,” says Rolph Payet, executive secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. “While the amendment is an important step, success is contingent on parties to the Basel Convention meeting their commitments and promoting cooperation at all levels.”
Back in Kazakhstan, Zaitsev is hard at work developing strategies to bolster electronic waste recycling and improve efficiency. With electronics flowing in from industrial enterprises, telecommunications companies and small-scale collectors, his New Capital Company has no shortage of e-waste to recycle. Zaitsev said he’s “cautiously optimistic about the future. In Kazakhstan, only 9 percent of electronic waste in the country is recycled, according to UN data.
“Addressing e-waste is important to me because it combines environmental protection with economic opportunity,” he said “It is not just about business, but also about creating a sustainable future for our communities and the planet.” UNEP News