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Private Sector Stakeholder Consultation Workshop on EPR and E-waste – 26 and 27 March 2024, Lusaka, Zambia

Participants of the Private Sector Stakeholder Consultation, 26 March 2024, Lusaka, Zambia.

​​BACKGROUND​

The Government of Zambia is committed to creating a circular economy for electronics. New regulations on e-waste management are being developed around the principle of an extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulation for electronics and packaging materials. ITU is assisting the Government of Zambia in implementing EPR regulations on e-waste by supporting legal, administrative, and financial modalities.

This technical assistance will be three-fold. The legal component will help prepare national EPR regulations for electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), align them with e-waste regulations, and create implementation guidelines. The financial component will study e-waste management costs, propose EPR fees, engage producers, and edit a draft producer responsibility organization (PRO) work plan for Zambia. The administrative component will focus on producer engagement, enforcement, system implementation.


Objectives

The consultation workshop will take place over two days, gathering a core group of relevant national and local stakeholders from the private sector. Given the importance of e-waste and EPR implementation, it is crucial for private sector actors to be informed and involved in the steps for a transparent and well-financed EPR system in Zambia. The workshop objectives are as follows:

  1. To introduce private sector participants (producers such as importer, distributors, and manufacturers, etc.) to basics and key elements of e-waste and circular economy.
  2. To acquaint the private sector participants to the project and in implementing/enforcing extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations once revised.
  3. To engage producers and get their commitment on the key provisions regarding the regulation of EPR in Zambia, including exploring the potential business opportunities in the sector arising from these.
  4. To identify best practices including the possible financing mechanisms, roles and responsibility, and barriers to be overcome to enhance public-private sector cooperation and to achieve optimal management of e-waste in the future.
  5. To generate momentum around the e-waste issue, such as through media reporting.​