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 focus on meeting the energy demands of the displaced population using off-grid solutions such as solar lanterns, solar home systems, and electronic cookstoves. These solutions are cost effective and environmentally friendly compared to diesel powered generators. However, when 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 recycled while the rest ends up being burnt, informally disposed of or hibernated in displacement settings. Furthermore, the lead-acid or lithium-ion batteries used in off-grid solutions contain toxic substances which can cause environmental pollution and damage human health, if not properly disposed of towards their end-of-life. Thus, there is a need to better understand the e-waste value chain as well as the opportunities and costs involved with e-waste management in humanitarian settings.

This series of two webinars aims to shed light on the rising issue of e-waste in humanitarian settings as well as the complexity of e-waste management. The first webinar in the series will set the scene by introducing the challenge of e-waste management in the humanitarian context. The second webinar will then dive deeper and invite practitioners from different parts of the world to share their experiences 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 in Humanitarian Contexts

The first webinar in the series provides an introduction to the issue of e-waste in humanitarian contexts. A joint presentation by UNITAR/GPA and GIZ ESDS will capture the scale and complexity of the issue, along with introducing the e-waste value chain in the humanitarian context. A presentation by the University of Edinburgh will then focus on the technical aspects of e-waste management. This will be followed by a presentation from IOM on the E-waste Project in Bidi Bidi refugee camp in Uganda. The webinar will close with a Q&A with the audience.

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

Registration link: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/3499583208929416203

Presenters: Elif Demir, UNITAR/GPA; Lucas Kürten, GIZ ESDS; Jaime Cross, University of Edinburgh; Gemma Arthurson, IOM

Webinar 2: Navigating the policy landscape for e-waste management in the humanitarian context

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

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

Registration link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1303420882632900878

Presenters: tbc

Further Readings

• Humanitarian E-Waste Network: cross-organizational technical working group on E-waste Reduction in Displacement Settings.
• What is e-waste? (EEP Africa, Step Initiative)
• Strategies for e-waste management
• Reduce-Reuse-Recycle

Publications/Resources 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.
• GPA & NORCAP (2021). Electronic Waste (E-waste) Management for Off-grid Solar Solutions in Displacement Settings.
• GIZ ESDS (2020). Solar E-Waste Reduction in Displacement Settings.
• MEI (2019). Energy and Displacement in Eight Objects: Insights from Sub-Saharan Africa
• IOM's E-Waste Management Project in Uganda

Regulatory Framework

• E-Waste Legislative Framework Map
• List of policy and regulatory framework for e-waste in Southern and East Africa.
• E-waste Policy Handbook
• 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

Toolkits

• GOGLA E-waste Toolkit
• EEP Africa E-waste Toolkit
• ACE (2019). E-waste Policy Handbook
• GIZ (2019). E-Waste Training Manual
• GOGLA. Business Blueprints for E-waste Management
• Step Initiative. E-waste Business Plan Calculation Tool
• Innovation Norway. Innovation-friendly Procurement Tools for the Humanitarian Sector
• EforA. Practical Guidance for Designing & Implementing Field Testing for Appliances & Productive Use Equipment
• UN Global E-Waste Monitor
• E-Waste Guide for Stand-Alone Solar in Nigeria

Battery

• End-of-Life Management of Batteries in the Off-Grid Solar Sector
• Case study from Uganda and Senegal
• Sofies. Operational Guidelines for Handling Used Batteries in the Off-grid Solar Sector
• WEF (2021). Closing the Loop on Energy Access in Africa
• Shell Foundation (2018). Energy Storage Trends for Off-grid Services in Emerging Markets

E-waste Management

• CDC (2021). How are Off-grid Solar Customers in Kenya Managing their Electronic Waste?
• Efficiency for Action (2021). Innovations and Lessons in Solar E-waste Management
• Rabaia, M, Abdelkareem, M. et.al (2021). Environmental Impacts of Solar Energy Systems: A Review
• ICRC (2021). Sustainable Management of ICRC’s Garage Waste
• Spear, Rowan, Cross, Jamie, Tait, Jeremy, Goyal, Richa., 2020. Pathway to Repair in the Global Off-grid Solar Sector
• EforA (2019). Solar E-Waste Management Best Practices for the Off-Grid Renewable Energy Sector Workshop Report
• CLASP (2019). Solar E-waste Market Scoping Report
• Environ. Sci. Technol. 2017, Life Cycle Assessment of Solar Photovoltaic Microgrid Systems in Off-Grid Communities
• DfiD (2016). Case Studies from Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda on e-waste Impact and Mitigation Options
• Duke University. Off-Grid Solar E-Waste: Impacts & Solutions in East Africa
• Off-grid solar waste in sub-Saharan Africa: Market dynamics, barriers to sustainability, and circular economy solutions

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