Webinar Series on Understanding Ewaste Value Chain in Humanitarian Settings

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Access to safe, affordable and sustainable energy is key for human development. In line with this goal, many humanitarian initiatives are focusing on meeting energy demands of displaced population using off-grid solutions such as solar lanterns, solar home systems, electronic cookstoves etc. These solutions are cost effective and environmentally friendly compared to diesel powered generator. However, as these products near their end-of-life, the critical question of what happens once they stop working or are beyond repair, remains? For example, it is estimated that only 1% of electronic waste (e-waste) is actually recycled while rest end up being burnt, informally disposed or hibernated in displacement settings. Furthermore, the lead or Lithium batteries also contain toxic substances which can cause environmental pollution as well as damage human health when not properly disposed of towards their end-of-life. Thus, there is a need to understand more about the e-waste value chain as well as opportunities and costs involved with e-waste management in humanitarian setting.

This series of two webinars aims to shed light on the complexity of e-waste management as well as the rising issue of e-waste in humanitarian settings. The first webinar in the series will set the scene by providing an introduction to ewaste management in humanitarian context. The second webinar will dive deeper and invite practitioners from different parts of the world to share their experience in a panel discussion.

This webinar series is organized jointly by GIZ Energy Solutions for Displacement Settings program and GPA Coordination Unit.

• Webinar 1: Understanding E-waste
• Webinar 2: Policy Landscape

Webinar 1: Understanding E-waste

This is the first webinar in the series and provides a understanding of E-waste in humanitarian context. Joint presentation by UNITAR/GPA and GIZ ESDS will capture the scale and complexity of the issue, along with an introduction to the e-waste value chain in humanitarian context.

Date/Time: 02 November at 14:00 CEST (check your local time)

Registration link: coming soon

Presenters: UNITAR/GPA (tbc), GIZ ESDS (tbc), Jaime Cross, University of Edinburg (tbc)

Webinar 2: Policy Landscape

Second in the series, this webinar digs deeper into the policy landscape for e-waste management in humanitarian contexts. A detailed presentation on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) followed by a panel discussion on sharing concrete policy examples from the ground will be presented. Practitioners from different countries will share their experiences and learnings, along with a open Q&A session with the audience.

Date/Time: 23 November, 14:00 CEST (check your local time)

Registration link: coming soon.

Presenters: tbc

Further Readings

• Humanitarian E-Waste Network: cross-organizational technical working group on E-waste Reduction in Displacement Settings.
• What is E-waste?
• Strategies for e-waste managment
• Reduce-Reuse-Recycle

Publications from Displacement Settings

• GIZ Energy Solutions in Displacement Settings (ESDS) (2021). Baseline Assessment on Electronic Waste Management and Extended Producer Responsibility in Displacement Settings in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda. https://energypedia.info/wiki/E-Waste_Reduction_in_Displacement_Settings
• GIZ ESDS (2020). Solar E-Waste Reduction in Displacement Settings.
• GPA & NORCAP (2021). Electronic Waste (E-waste) Management for Off-grid Solar Solutions in Displacement Settings. https://www.nrc.no/globalassets/pdf/reports/e-waste/e-waste-management-for-off-grid-solar-solutions-in-displacement-settings.pdf

Regulatory Framework

• List of policy and regulatory framework for e-waste in Southern and East Africa.
• E-waste Policy Handbook
• E-Waste Guide for Stand-Alone Solar in Nigeria
• GOGLA's webinar on E-waste Policy and Regulation
• CLASP (2022): Bending Toward Circular: Using Extended Producer Responsibility Schemes to Transition to Appliance Circular Economy. https://www.clasp.ngo/research/all/bending-toward-circular-using-extended-producer-responsibility-schemes-to-transition-to-appliance-circular-economy/

Toolkits

• GOGLA E-waste Toolkit
• GIZ (2019). E-Waste Training Manual. https://energypedia.info/images/5/55/E-Waste_Training_Manual.pdf
• E-waste Business Plan Calculation Tool
• EEP Africa E-waste Toolkit

Battery

• End-of-Life Management of Batteries in the Off-Grid Solar Sector
• Case study from Uganda and Senegal

Other Resources

• UNICEF (2020). A third of the world’s children poisoned by lead, new groundbreaking analysis says. https://www.unicef.org/rosa/press-releases/third-worlds-children-poisoned-lead-new-groundbreaking-analysis-says
• Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE) & E-waste Coalition (2019). A New Circular Vision for Electronics: Time for a Global Reboot. https://www.weforum.org/reports/a-new-circular-vision-for-electronics-time-for-a-global-reboot
• CLASP (2019). Solar E-waste Market Scoping Report. https://storage.googleapis.com/e4a-website-assets/Solar-E-Waste-Market-Scoping-Report.pdf
• Duke University. Off-Grid Solar E-Waste: Impacts & Solutions in East Africa