Page 14 - 2016 Integrated management and disposal of electrical and electronic waste and used electrical and electronic equipment in Latin America

2. Management, treatment and final disposal of e-waste

This section describes the general concepts of e-waste, its fundamental technical
definitions and the main sources of its generation. Additionally, this section
provides an overview of technological and environmentally sustainable
alternatives that are available for proper e-waste management at the global level.
It also describes some examples of policies and strategies that many countries
have adopted in order to promote sustainability in the management of e-waste.
The introduction includes examples of regulatory frameworks in other regions,
such as Europe’s WEEE Directive.

2.1 Environmental sustainability in e-waste management

According to the Step Initiative, e-waste constitutes one of the largest waste
streams on Earth with significant social and environmental implications. (UNU,
2013) Therefore, it is important to understand that e-waste is a unique waste
stream of concern whose management, treatment and disposal must be done in a
sound manner.

It is important to define the concept and its associated terms clearly in order to understand the best ways to
manage it.

In 2009, Luciano Morselli defined EEE as "Any device that for functional reasons is dependent on electric currents
or electro-magnetic fields in order to work properly. It becomes WEEE when its owner disposes of it, tries or needs
to discard it". (Morselli et al, 2009)
In 2014, the Step Initiative defined electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) as "any item from homes or
businesses that contains circuits or electronic components and a power source or batter". Step also established
that the term e-waste covers "all types of electrical and electronic equipment and parts ‘discarded’ by its owner
as waste without the intention of re-use". Step emphasizes the term “discarded” to distinguish between an item
or product that can be reused from waste.

According to the European Directive 2012/19/EU, EEE products "are those that run on electric currents or
electromagnetic fields and are intended for the use with a voltage rating not exceeding 1000 V alternating current
(AC) and 1500 V direct current (DC); are also those apparatuses necessary to generate, transmit and measure such
currents and fields".
Categories of e-waste
EEE products have been categorized into various groupings by pieces of national legislation taking into account
their original purpose, size, composition and/or weight. Internationally, the suggested classification has been used
as a reference by the 2002 European Directive reflected in Table 2.

4 Sustainable management of waste electrical and electronic equipment in Latin America