10 07 29 Master thesis Juliana Leon - e-Waste. This guide

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small metal parts that can be sold, but CRT glass does not have an economic value and is often discarded improperly. In the best case, it is brought to a security landfill at a high cost by the formal sector; in the worst case, it is simply broken and dispersed in the environment. Local recycling solutions need to be found to avoid the expensive disposal of CRTs that generate a loss of important quantities of resources and can turn the computer recycling non-profitable. In addition to CRT glass, the high flows passing through the IS have lead to the unsafe disposal of (usually low-grade) PWBs, plastics containing BFRs and other hazardous components (e.g. batteries, mercury light tubes). Another undesirable flow are the high quantities of computer waste coming from public and private companies penetrating the IS via auctions and middlemen that increase the huge amount of informally dismantled PCs coming from households. How can the current informal e-waste recycling activities in Colombia be integrated into a future formal recycling system in a sustainable manner The challenge for a successful inclusion of the IS in the context of e-waste recycling is to prevent pollution without taking away the income from the working population, while at the same time reducing health risks. Basically, two alternatives were proposed. The first one consists of an intervention with economic incentives in an effort to redirect the most problematic flows into the formal e-waste management system. The investment needed for the collection of CRT-monitors by the recicladores has been estimated for each year of the period 2011-2020. For the decade, the total investment is estimated at 2.3 millions USD, representing less than 0.01% of the new PC sales (assuming 890 USD/PC). The second alternative consists on the formalization of current informal dismantling activities by allowing trained workers to perform this activity in adapted workshops (e.g. installed in cooperatives warehouses). Additionally, formalization of informal enterprises should be promoted at all levels, using financial incentives, providing capacity building and training, and by clarifying the certification process. Whatever the chosen alternative or solution, it is important to maintain, as long as e- waste is collected informally, the existing interfaces between the informal and the formal sector, which allow to recover some of the informal flows and divert them 58
towards a formal treatment and recycling process. The best example for such an interface and the subsequent recovery of informally collected e-waste are the PWBs. In 2009, more than 220 tons 20 of PWBs – equivalent to between 17% and 31% of the total amount depending on the scenario – were treated formally after having been collected and removed from their casings by actors of the IS. Eliminating this interface (e.g. by prohibiting formal treatment enterprises to acquire PWBs without traceable origins) would most probably lead to an increase in informal extraction processes, since the metals contained in the PWBs would still be valuable for the IS. 20 <strong>This</strong> quantity corresponds to PWBs from computers exclusively. 59
Page 3 and 4:
Abstract In Colombia, as in other d
Page 5 and 6:
Glossary Chatarrerías - A term use
Page 7 and 8:
3.3.2 Informal refurbishment and r
Page 9:
List of Tables Table 1: General inf
Page 12 and 13:
1.2 Colombia as case study The Repu
Page 14 and 15:
(both laptop and desktop) in Colomb
Page 16 and 17:
collection, refurbishment, manual d
Page 18 and 19: 2 METHODS 2.1 Computer waste genera
Page 20 and 21: Table 4: Parameters used for the co
Page 22 and 23: made. This means that from the tota
Page 24 and 25: 2.3.1 Definitions The following imp
Page 26 and 27: Table 7: Average composition and we
Page 28 and 29: M c ik = ˙ ik ˙ (9) F i The distr
Page 30 and 31: In 2009, waste of more recent techn
Page 32 and 33: 200 and 350 tons. Based on the latt
Page 34 and 35: iggest formal e-waste recycling com
Page 36 and 37: this study, the term “informal co
Page 38 and 39: A pilot project conducted in Bogot
Page 40 and 41: Figure 12: Manual dismantling of co
Page 42 and 43: city. Scrap metal dealers are then
Page 44 and 45: The direct MSW collection rate is t
Page 46 and 47: In the three scenarios, informally
Page 48 and 49: are mixed with common glass, or are
Page 50 and 51: entering the market are almost excl
Page 52 and 53: Non treated (low-grade PWBs) Formal
Page 54 and 55: Refurbish Formal treatment Worst ca
Page 56 and 57: introduction of an Advanced Recycli
Page 58 and 59: Table 15: Theoretical benefit from
Page 60 and 61: 3.5.1.3 Social benefits Allowing th
Page 62 and 63: 3.5.2.2 Environmental benefits Evid
Page 64 and 65: 4 FINAL REMARKS 4.1 Computer waste
Page 66 and 67: possible intervention points. There
Page 70 and 71: 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to
Page 72 and 73: Gmünder S. (2007). Recycling - Fro
Page 74 and 75: Uribe L.M., Wolfensberger M. y Ott,
Page 76 and 77: Appendix A.2: List of expert interv
Page 78 and 79: Appendix B.1: Flow scheme for the
Page 80 and 81: Appendix C.2: Flow Matrix for the
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