Managing e-waste is a critical issue globally, including in Egypt. Effective management of e-waste requires a comprehensive framework that encompasses various aspects such as policies for sustainable handling of electronic waste, including collection, transportation, recycling, disposal. Below are some key framework recommendations that could be considered for improving e-waste management in Egypt.
5.1 Legal, Administrative, and Institutional
- Regularly review and update e-waste management policies and regulations, to fill in gaps and fit with market developments.
- Establish a sound EPR system, ensuring manufacturers take responsibility for the end-of-life management of their products, and legalize it, including:
- Resource mobilization
- Collection mechanisms
- Financial mechanisms
- Engagement with all relevant stakeholders
- Implement technical standards that promote proper handling, collection, recycling, and disposal of e-waste.
- Form a WEEE technical committee with governmental experts as well as external stakeholders from academia and industry who are experts in the field of WEEE to develop standards and drive the conformity assessment system, as well as the circular economy
- Raise awareness & build capacity through training for various stakeholders across the value chain.
- Achieve full legal compliance with international agreements, including the Basel Convention, all while staying practical to the local context.
5.2 Infrastructure, Monitoring, and Management Practices
- Encourage a formal refurbishing industry, including related standards
- Encourage further the development and improvement of the formal recycling industry.
- Establish environmentally appropriate hazardous waste landfills.
- Find appropriate downstream pathways that allow for hazardous waste incineration.
- Enforce proper standards through a comprehensive conformity assessment system.
- Improved enforcement of health and safety regulations is critical to protect workers, especially in the informal sector.
5.3 Data and Statistics
- Work on achieving complete and consistent datasets through standardized collection methods and methodologies, to allow for data comparability across different regions (especially Africa) and timescales.
- Standardize the reporting practices among different entities involved in e-waste management, leading to accurate statistics.
- Focus on finding and standardizing methods and methodologies for getting data from the informal sector, which is still dominating.
- Focus on enforcing compliance with reporting requirements, by finding effective mechanisms like rewards for good compliance and penalties for non-compliance.
- Dedicate specific oversight bodies specifically focused on e-waste statistics.
