Page 12 - Management of waste electrical and electronic equipment in Latin America Current situation and outlook

Management of waste electrical and electronic equipment in
Latin America: Current situation and outlook

Chapter 1 – Current situation

of WEEE management in

Latin American countries

The management of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) varies considerably
across Latin America. While some countries have made significant progress in developing
national WEEE management systems, others are still in the initial stages of development. To
provide context for the fact sheets developed, this document explains the main elements that
comprise a national WEEE management system. The document Guidelines for Implementing
National Systems for the Integral Management of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
(WEEE) in Latin American Countries explores this topic in depth.

1�1 National systems for integral management of WEEE

A WEEE management system is understood to be the set of regulatory, administrative,
operational and financial elements necessary to ensure that this waste is collected, transported,
disassembled, re-used, treated and disposed of in an environmentally safe manner. The objective
of a national WEEE management system is to minimize risks to health and the environment by
encouraging the re-use of EEE and promoting the collection and recovery of parts and materials
obtained from disassembly. The system also aims to treat non-recyclable hazardous fractions
or components to reduce or eliminate their hazardousness, and to dispose of non-recyclable
waste generated at the various stages of the recovery process safely. Figure 1 illustrates the
fundamental components of a management system grounded in the concept of extended
producer responsibility (EPR).

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