FINAL REPORT
(in pdf)
Background
Through collaboration with its partners, ITU has been providing
technical assistance to countries such as Botswana to support with the development of their policy and regulatory frameworks governing the management of e-waste at the national level. In 2020, over 21'000 tonnes of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) was placed on the market in Botswana. Meanwhile, in the same year over 13'000 tonnes of e-waste was generated. EEE includes a wide range of products with circuitry or electrical components with a power or battery supply. These products become e-waste once they have been discarded by their owner as waste without the intent of reuse. This data has been made available through a national study conducted by Statistics Botswana with the support of the Botswana Unified Revenue Service. The estimated loss of value of raw materials in e-waste generated in Botswana could be as much as $2 million USD.
Botswana is currently making efforts to improve the regulatory framework regarding e-waste since there is no specific regulatory instrument dealing with e-waste management in the country. The Department of Waste Management and Pollution Control (DWMPC) produced an Integrated Waste Management Policy (September 2021), which will facilitate the sound management of all types of waste streams in the country, including e-waste. This emerging issue requires a specific regulatory framework for its safe and proper management. E-waste needs to be supported by a management system able to recognize the waste as an additional value and a resource, which differs from the current practice of collection and disposal at landfills.
Acknowledging the urgent need to address the e-waste issue, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Circular Economy and EPR Platform is the outcome of endeavouring to understand the role of companies in sound e-waste management. The initiative, which started in October 2020, is a partnership between SADC Business council and the two EU funded initiatives: EU Africa RISE and Switch to Green Facility. The platform will become a facilitation mechanism for members of the public and private sector to share best practices, exchange ideas, design, pilot or scale up circularity models, and develop collective approaches to the circular economy and EPR market. Key activities include a structured proposal for the platform, a business plan, and a first-year work plan, as well as obtaining consensus and launching the platform at the end of the initiative, in July 2023.
Objectives
The official launch of the Circular Economy and EPR Platform took place during this event, held in Botswana from 12th to 14th July. The event focused on showcasing how businesses can “transform" the way they do business, supported by an enabling environment and/or in partnership with others.
The event spoke to one of the platform's four pillars and mandate, which is that the platform will organise events and consultations on specific topics related to EPR and the circular economy.
- Launched the Circular Economy and EPR Platform, provided the platform outlook one year on and showcased good circularity models and practices that have been supported or generated by different projects of EU Africa RISE, Switch2Green and ITU.
- Convened partners from Botswana institutions and from neighbouring countries (and where necessary global experts online) to exchange information and knowledge about their national approaches to tackling e-waste management in order to support the Government of Botswana with the implementation of its national e-waste management strategy through the lens of EPR and producer organisation, whilst considering some of the potential intervention areas referred to on the previous page.
- Using the Botswana national e-waste strategy and other Southern African countries' policy and strategic level direction as a basis, convened policy representatives and businesses from other Southern African countries to explore the opportunities to regionally harmonize the management of e-waste with a focus on transitioning the region towards a circular economy for EEE.
