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Welcome to “WEEE are SA”. We are committed to pointing out solutions, raising awareness and providing education on integrated e-waste management to households, businesses, government and other institutions.
EEE stands for Electrical and Electronic Equipment. This can include things like phones, laptops, TVs, appliances, lighting, batteries and anything else that runs on a battery or electricity.
WEEE stands for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, and it refers to any electronics and electrical devices that are no longer wanted, needed or that might be broken beyond repair. Other interchangeable terms for this kind of waste include “electronic waste” or “e-waste” for short.
Like many of us, you probably have a drawer or cupboard overflowing with old connection cables (and a different one for each phone model), chargers, and adapters from the early 2000s. On average, each person now contributes 8 kg of e-waste annually due to modern production and consumption practices.
The Global e-Waste Monitor (GEM) has released various reports documenting how big the crisis is. The amount of e-waste, totalling 62 million metric tonnes in 2022, would fill 1.55 million 40-tonne trucks, enough to form a bumper-to-bumper line that could encircle the equator.
Unfortunately, globally only on average 22.3 per cent (13.8 billion kg) of the e-waste generated was documented as properly collected and recycled. (In Africa these numbers are however much, much smaller -with South Africa showing the best formal recycling performance (~10%) on the entire African continent). It is estimated that nearly a quarter of all e-waste generated ends up being simply dumped or landfilled with other waste, thus posing a significant risk of releasing a wide range of environmental pollutants known to have severe impacts on human health.
Since 2010, the growth of e-waste generation has been outpacing formal collection and recycling by almost a factor of 5.
Effective e-waste management goes beyond just recycling old electronics. It prioritises a three-pronged approach defined by the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” hierarchy. This framework focuses on reducing waste from the start.
“Reduce” encourages us to rethink our consumption habits and only buy what we truly need. “Reuse” promotes extending the lifespan of electronics through repairs or finding them new uses. Finally, “Recycle” focuses on responsible processing of e-waste to recover valuable materials for future products and safely remove and separately treat any components built with materials or treated with chemicals that might pose a risk to the human health or the environment.
In 2022, 5.3 billion mobile phones were thrown away, according to the WEEE Forum.
Explore the journey of a typical mobile phone, just like the one you may be holding in your hand right now—from its beginnings as materials from the earth to “technology in use” to its final days as electronic waste. Discover the controversial practice of “designing for the dump,” where devices are intentionally made to fail unnecessarily or prematurely, thereby compelling consumers to purchase new ones.
We have the power to make collectively a significant impact—explore the tailored solutions available to address and resolve this growing concern of e-waste.
We all know that just dumping any type of waste including e-waste is strictly illegal and thereby punishable by law but did you know that as of August 2022, disposing of e-waste in residential bins and landfills is ALSO illegal in South Africa. The government mandates recycling to prevent environmental harm and protect public health. WEEE contains harmful pollutants that, if released, pose severe risks to both the environment and human health.
Fortunately, there are numerous authorised drop-off sites and collectors across South Africa that will make sure your e-waste ultimately goes to a place where it can be safely recycled.
This initiative is part of the Sustainable Recycling Industries (SRI) programme, supported by Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and implemented by Empa and the World Resources Forum (WRF). Over the past decade, these organisations have successfully fostered conditions that support e-waste recycling industries worldwide.
“WEEE are SA” is built on the strength of its partnerships. From government bodies to local enterprises and recycling organisations, our network is ever-expanding.
Get in touch with “WEEE are SA” today and be a part of the change.
