Page 62 - 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

2�5 Handling of plastics containing brominated flame retardants

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are chemical compounds
used to reduce the flammability of plastic materials used in
electrical and electronic equipment. Some of these plastics
have been identified as persistent organic pollutants by the
Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Stockholm Convention
on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), owing to their ability
to accumulate in the environment and in living organisms. If
these plastics are not disposed of safely, they can release toxic
substances into the environment, affecting human health and
biodiversity

These plastics are present in much electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), due to their fire-
retardant properties. The environmentally safe disposal of WEEE is crucial in preventing the
release of these compounds and reducing their environmental impact.

The PREAL project aimed to help countries in the region identify this type of plastic and its
safely disposal. To this end, a regional technical guide was developed to cover the identification
and separation of plastics containing brominated flame retardants. Priority was given to co-
processing for final disposal. Figure 13 shows data on the management of plastics containing
brominated flame retardants during the project period.

Figure 13: Plastic processing data within the framework of the PREAL Project

Source: PREAL Project Report, 2024.

53