The document discusses perspectives on electronic waste (e-waste) in Latin America and the Caribbean. Some key points: - E-waste generation is increasing due to rising electronics use but most countries do not have data on existing e-waste amounts. - Current waste management practices make addressing the issue difficult as dumps are still common and few facilities can properly handle e-waste. - Governments are increasingly aware of the issue and exploring solutions like producer responsibility and new regulations, but rules vary widely between countries.

1. Perspectives on Electronic Waste
in Latin America and the
Caribbean
Keith E. Ripley
Temas Actuales LLC
www.temasactuales.com
keith.ripley@verizon.net

2. Big Picture – The Takeaway Points
• LAC market & social shifts increasing e-waste
generation potential
• Unfortunately not yet known how much WEEE LAC has
and is generating
• Growing LAC government/public awareness & concern
about e-waste
• Current state of LAC waste management makes issue
difficult to address
• Evolving bans, trade regimes complicate search for
solutions
• LAC governments leaning increasingly toward EPR,
take-back

3. Market & Social Shifts Increasing
E-waste Potential
• Increasing mobile phone penetration
• Increasing computer penetration
• Entrance of electronics in more product areas
• Traditionally long electronic product life in LAC
shortening
• Key format changes prompting tech exchanges
• Efforts to close “digital divide”
• Greater automation of systems in LAC
traditionally labor-intensive
• What impact energy efficiency drive?

4. Market/Social Shifts - Increasing
Mobile Phone Penetration
• Cell penetration soaring because of difficulties/
costs in getting fixed lines
• 300 m. mobile connections in LAC in 2006;
108.5 m. mobile lines in service in Brazil alone
as of July 2007
• Penetration 60-70% regionally (depending on
who you talk to), but as high as 90% in Colombia
& Venezuela;
• In many nations, now more cells than fixed lines
• In Chile, 53% of teenagers 14-18 have a cell

5. Market/Social Shifts - Increasing
Computer Penetration
• PC sales & use rising as PCs/laptops become more
affordable, brand competition heats up and more
governments chose to address “digital divide” & join
information economy
• In 2007 reported computer use has doubled in Brazil to
44% in 2007, as has ownership (from 17% to 34%); PC
sales in Brazil expected to surpass 10 m. in 2007, more
than TV sales
• 29% ownership in Argentina, but projected 1.5 m. PC
sales in Argentina in 2007 (12% portable)
• Ownership in other: Ven. 43%; Chile 35%; Mex. 22%
• Estimated that 25%+ of computers in Brazil & Mexico
now are portable

6. Market/Social Shifts - More Items
Becoming Electronic, Digital
• More computers in vehicles
• More digital features in appliances
• Digital cameras and video recording
• DVDs replacing videotape
• More LAC citizens using ATMs
• Growth of supermarkets, hypermarkets in
LAC bringing more digitization to retailing

7. Market/Social Shifts – Length of
Product Life Shrinking in LAC
• Traditionally in LAC the electronics,
appliances used longer than in North
America and Europe because of cost,
greater availability of cheap parts & repair
• Recent studies (AC Nielsen, Latinpanel,
etc.) show rapid drop in secondhand cell
phone use
• 77% of Chilean teens with cell phones
have new (not secondhand) units

8. Market/Social Shifts - Format Shifts
Prompting E-wasting
• Newer computer software requiring more
memory, speed, resolution
• shift away from disks, now from CD to
DVD (will Blu-ray cause still another shift?)
• Many cell phones exchanged as switch
from TDMA to GSM
• LAC opting for flat screen TVs in a big way
(over 70% shipments Q2 2007) – what
happens to old sets with CRTs?

9. Market/Social Shifts - LAC Nations
Worry About “Digital Divide”
• Conscious choice of several governments
to get more PC/laptops & internet
connections in schools, households, small
towns and rural areas
• Therefore many accepting donations used
PCs from abroad, likely increasing number
of non-RoHS compliant units in LAC
• What eventual waste impact of One
Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiatives?

10. Market/Social Shifts - Impact of
Energy Efficiency Drives?
• Many LAC nations, faced with tight energy
supply and higher electricity generation
costs, pushing to get mass changeover to
newer, more efficient appliances
• What happens to the old units, which
usually have far more hazardous materials
and ozone-depleting substances?

11. How Much WEEE is There in LAC?
• For most of LAC, we don’t know
yet – most nations have not done
serious diagnostic of WEEE
situation. To remedy this, Basel
Convention Regional Center in
Buenos Aires putting together first
stab at a regional WEEE
inventory.
• In Argentina alone, estimated in
2007will be1.3 m. printers, 9.5 m.
computer units, 19.4 m. printer
cartridges, 60,000 calculators,
28,000 photocopiers, 120,000 fax
machines, 1,400 bank terminals &
2.4 m. kg. of parts, pieces &
peripherals in disuse
• GTZ estimates 130,000 EOL PCs
need to be removed from Costa
Rica’s landfills

12. Growing Government Concern /
Public Awareness
• LAC media has latched onto WEEE story
• Basel talks and work of Basel regional centers
have raised government awareness
• Stockholm (POPs) Convention, UNEP Hg
assessment, local contamination incidents
(particularly incidents involving artesanal mining
of lead-acid batteries) have raised profile of
heavy metals
• NGO campaigns (ex: Greenpeace’s Greener
Electronics reports) raised issue profile
• StEP Initiative

13. State of LAC Waste Management
Makes It Difficult
• Waste policy getting higher profile as gross and per capita waste
generation rises
• A dozen LAC nations still do not have a specific waste law or
regulation
• Open-air dumps still prevalent; even some of the landfills too close
to waterways, aquifers
• Most nations do not have secure landfills, or even secure cells within
regular fills
• Not all LAC has regular collection options, and in some places it is
still done by donkey cart. WEEE often not collected by municipal
services, and when they do…
• Many nations do not have technical laboratory, personnel resources
needed.

14. State of LAC Waste Management
Makes It Difficult - 2
• It’s becoming a socio-political imperative to include informal
recyclers (catadores, pepenadores, etc.) in recycling programs
• Few domestic hazardous waste facilities with proper environmental
license, high standards
• Fewer still are entities with experience in proper WEEE
disassembly, such as Recycla & Degraf in Chile, Scrapex & Silkers
in Argentina, ERI in Mexico. With metals prices at historic highs,
why aren’t there more?
• Most Caribbean islands have neither suitable facilities for WEEE nor
individual scale to make it worth creating one. Some talk of creating
a subregional processing center, but so far just talk
• Incineration/co-processing small, emissions usually not well
controlled, in many places not an option legally
• Hence, many nascent LAC WEEE programs decide to export
hazardous materials

15. One Example of the Waste
Infrastructure Problem: Brazil
• The map is of
Brazilian landfills
authorized to take
hazardous waste
• Note all along coast;
none in N & center
(including near
Manaus free zone
electronics pole)
• 50% of capacity to
handle hazardous
waste located within
250 km of São Paulo

16. Yet trade not easy – confusing
crazy quilt of rules
• All but Grenada, Haiti, Suriname are Basel Convention
contracting parties
– Notice and consent system
– Covers both waste intended for disposal and for
recycling/materials recovering
– Ban on trade with non-parties (such as US)
– WEEE on both Annex VIII (presumed hazardous) and Annex IX
(presumed non-hazardous)
– Mobile Phone Partnership Initiative (MPPI) launched; special
regime for “Partnership for Action on Computing Equipmentquot;
(PACE) under consideration
– Much still depends on national interpretation.
• Bolivia, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, St. Lucia, Trinidad,
Uruguay ratified “Basel Ban” prohibiting waste imports
from developed countries; other LAC nations considering

17. Crazy Quilt - 2
• Central American countries have own
convention banning hazardous waste trade.
• OECD tacit consent system covers Mexico;
presumably Argentina & Chile too if they join.
Generally regards e-scrap as not hazardous
(except possibly CRT glass)
• Many LAC nations have constitutional provisions
and/or laws against hazardous waste imports,
some vs. hazardous exports too

18. Who’s Doing What to Address E-
waste? Industry Initiatives - Cells
• Nokia claims full recycling
coverage for its LAC markets
• Recellular works with Motorola
in Central America, Vivo in
Brazil, Movilnet in Venezuela
• Movistar launches take-back in
Argentina, Chile, Colombia
• Motorola’s Ecomoto program
moves into LAC in 2007
• Under threat of regulatory
action, Colombian mobile
phone sector (Nokia, Movistar,
Avantel, Comcel, Tigo, CCIT,
ASOCEL) signs convenio with
Environment Ministry (MAVDT)
to take back cells, cell batteries
& peripherals

19. Who’s Doing What? Industry -
Computers
• Dell launched the Consumer Free Recycling Program in
Brazil and Mexico in Dec. 2006. The program offers free
recycling to consumers of Dell branded equipment. In
2008 it will be extended to other LAC countries, with
Argentina, Chile and Colombia initially targeted. Dell will
add “asset recovery” service (for companies, covering
both Dell and non-Dell equipment) for Brazil and Mexico
in first half of 2008, followed by others (starting with
Argentina, Chile and Colombia).
• IBM takes back servers in LAC – 18 metric tons (mT)
plastic + 186 mT metal recovered in Brazil in 2007
• Where are other OEMs?

20. Who’s Doing What? Industry -
Other
• HP “Planet Partners” takes back
printer cartridges in Brazil, Chile,
Colombia and Peru
• Lexmark takes back cartridges in
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia,
Mexico.
• Epson takes back/recycles
printers in Argentina. Where are
other printer companies?
• Several cell phone manufacturers
(Motorola, Nokia, Ericcson, etc.)
operate modest take-back
programs for their batteries in
larger LAC nations (mostly in
select large cities). Amexpilas has
collection agreement with
Environment Ministry, but mostly
focused on Mexico City

21. Who’s Doing What? Other
Nongovernmental Actors
Groups accepting computers for
refurbishing, putting to reuse in
schools, homes, community
centers, etc. Usually small-scale,
localized operations.
– Argentina: Fundación Equidad; Va
de Vuelta
– Brazil: Comitê para
Democratização da Informática
(CDI) [5,000 machines in 2006
alone]
– Chile: Chilenter; CDI-Chile
– Colombia: Computadores para
Educar
– Costa Rica: ACEPSA
– Guatemala: Tecnologia Para
Educar
– Venezuela: Via Tecnológia

22. Existing Rules - WEEE in General
Waste Law
Chile’s hazardous waste regulation classifies CRTs,
some batteries, electronic/electrical assembly (montaje)
as hazardous waste.
Colombia’s 2005 hazardous waste regulation imposes
producer responsibility obligations for some WEEE,
including CRT glass, certain electronic/electrical
assemblies.
Mexico’s General Waste Law requires industry to submit
“environmental management plan and system” for
certain batteries & “technological waste” (includes IT,
electronics). Some Mexican states impose similar
requirements in their state general waste laws or in
waste chapters of their environment framework laws.

23. Existing Rules - WEEE in General
Waste Law - 2
Several Brazilian states have waste laws
requiring post-consumer producer responsibility
for batteries, “technological waste” or “electro-
electronic products”. A few also ban these from
landfills, require prior regulator approval for
thermal destruction.
Industry seems to have convinced São Paulo
not to follow suit for e-waste in the implementing
decree for its new waste law - for now

24. Existing Rules – Specialized
Legislation
• Argentina & Brazil have special national
rules on batteries & piles.
• Majority of Brazilian states now have their
own battery laws, some of which also
affect electronics from which battery is not
easily removed.
• Several Brazilian states have laws on
recycling computer disks.

25. What’s in the Legislative and
Regulatory Works
Costa Rica’s Environment Ministry has prepared “special
waste” regulation whose main target is WEEE. Includes
recovery targets.
Draft national waste law sent by Lula to Brazil’s
Congress does not explicitly mention WEEE, but that
may not stay that way in Congressional bargaining and
in any case, wiggle room was left to add it in
implementing rules. CONAMA rule on batteries under
revision. Specific WEEE bills proposed in both national
congress & some state assemblies.
Colombia’s new battery EPR decree includes sealed
lead-acid batteries & lead-acid back-up power batteries.
MAVDT hinting at special regimes too for other batteries.
Signed cooperation project with Swiss government to
develop WEEE regime.

26. What’s in the Legislative and
Regulatory Works - 2
Venezuela’s Environment Ministry has declared it will prepare
WEEE regulation.
Chile studying WEEE policy options.
Combined WEEE/RoHS bill under debate in Argentina’s national
congress would cover computer & IT equipment, consumer
electronics, appliances, medical devices, video games,
monitor/control instruments, vending machines. Would ban in new
equipment Pb, Hg, Cd, PBB, PDBE & hexavalent chromium. City of
Buenos Aires looking at how to handle WEEE under its “Zero
Waste” law; experimented June-July 2007 with bring-back program
at shopping malls.
Several Mexican states considering waste bills or proposed new
waste chapters to their framework environment law that would cover
“special wastes”

27. What’s in the Legislative and
Regulatory Works - 3
2006 MERCOSUR Policy on Management of
Special Universal Wastes includes cell phones,
batteries/piles, electro-electronics. Member
states (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay –
and Venezuela if accession agreement ratified
by other 4) are to take implementing measures
to ensure post-consumer producer
responsibility, waste management plans,
product composition rules. MERCOSUR now in
follow-up talks on possible common specific
rules.

28. What’s in the Legislative and
Regulatory Works - 4
• Central American Integration System
(SICA) has developed model waste law
based on Mexico’s, discussing possible
common hazardous, special (including
WEEE?) waste rules for Belize, Costa
Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,
Nicaragua and Panama.

29. About Temas Actuales LLC
Temas was founded as a specialized
consultancy to
1. track and assess legislative, regulatory and
policy developments in Latin America and
the Caribbean – whether at the national,
sub-regional or regional level.
2. help clients adopt politically and socially
aware policies with regard to such
developments.
3. promote dialogue and cooperation
between the private and public sectors in
the region, with a view to forging alliances
to tackle common policy concerns.
For more information, visit
www.temasactuales.com
To regularly follow environment, health and
consumer policy developments in LAC,
read The Temas Blog at
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30. Thank You!