Page 9 - Management of waste electrical and electronic equipment in Latin America Current situation and outlook

Executive Summary

This document is the result of collaboration between the United Nations Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), conducted within
the framework of the PREAL Project, “Strengthening of National Initiatives and Enhancement
of Regional Cooperation for the Environmentally Sound Management of POPs in Waste of
Electronic or Electrical Equipment (WEEE)”. Financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF)
and implemented by UNIDO, the project ran from 2019 to 2024. The project's primary goal
was to provide technical and financial support to 13 Latin American countries to enhance the
management of WEEE. This support included developing policies and regulations, promoting
environmentally sound management technologies and business models, building national
capacity, and raising awareness among users of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). The
countries participating in the project were: Argentina, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Chile,
Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Uruguay,
and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

At the regional level, the project aimed to harmonize key policies on waste electrical and
electronic equipment, strengthen regional cooperation and encourage the sharing of
knowledge. It promoted policies that enable the use of materials, optimal recycling, and the
creation of decent jobs. This approach contributes to protecting health and the environment,
recovering raw materials, and extending the useful life of EEE in line with the principles of the
circular economy and the Sustainable Development Goals

This document summarizes the progress made in WEEE management by the 13 participating
countries in the form of fact sheets, focusing on key aspects of legal and regulatory frameworks
and collection systems. It also presents the current situation in Brazil, Colombia and Mexico as
examples of other Latin American countries that have also developed legal frameworks for the
comprehensive management of WEEE and have made considerable progress in establishing
management systems. For illustrative purposes, fact sheets on the current state of WEEE
management in other regions of the world are also presented, taking France and Japan as
examples.

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