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PROJECTS

IMPEL TFS – Africa E-waste project

  • Number: 2010/14
  • Status: Finalised
  • Period: 2010
  • Lead Country: Norway

  • Project team countries:
    Norway, TFS Secretariat, Netherlands, UK, Belgium and Switzerland.

  • Participating countries:
    Norway, TFS Secretariat, Netherlands, UK, Belgium and Switzerland.

Executive Summary

In February 2008 IMPEL signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Secretariat of the Basel Convention (SBC). Within the framework of this MoU, IMPEL TFS and the SBC agreed to collaborate on component 4 of the SBC’s E-wastes to Africa project. This project, launched in 2009 aims to equip West Africa and other African countries to be able to tackle the growing problem of e-waste import coming from industrialized countries and thereby protect the health of citizens. The project has 4 components:

1)      A study of the flow of e-waste intoBenin,Cote d’Ivoire,Ghana,LiberiaandNigeria

2)      A national assessment on e-waste in Benin,GhanaandNigeria

3)      A socio-economic study on e-waste in Nigeria with a feasibility of international cooperation between African SMEs and European recycling companies. The same study will be carried out inGhana.

4)      An enforcement programme in Benin, Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria and Tunisia led by IMPEL with the aim of preventing illegal export from Europe to West Africa. The programme consists of 2 training workshops in Europe and one in each of the five countries.



Project description

To ensure that waste is shipped to licensed facilities and treated in an environmentally sound manner without damaging the environment and human health, it is necessary to follow waste from its origin to its final destination. In case of waste shipments and treatment within the EU, the network of contacts exists and can be used for requests. This is not yet the case in countries of destination outside Europe.

However, some major waste streams also find their way to African countries. Mainly the ELV and E-waste streams. The treatment of these streams there raises some doubts and better collaboration between the involved authorities is required. Recent developments have initiated the first contacts between IMPEL TFS and African countries. Firstly the INECE conference in Cape Town, April 2008, attended by representatives from key countries in Africa. Followed in June 2009 by two INECE workshops on E-waste and the Seaport project held in Ghana. Furthermore a representative of the Basel Convention Regional Centre from Nigeria attended the IMPEL TFS Conference in Sofia in 2008.

Final Report - E-waste Africa project - EU training event