A Model for E-Waste Recycling System in Egypt Hoda Salah Eldin Shakra

Supervisor: Tarek Khalil

Thesis (M.A.)—Nile University, Egypt, 2016 .

"Includes bibliographical references"

Contents:
Chapter 1 ............................................................................................................................. 1
1.1. Electronic waste ........................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Categories of E-waste .................................................................................................. 2
1.3. E-waste Recycling ....................................................................................................... 4
1.4. Significance of E-waste recycling ............................................................................... 5
1.4.1. Energy and Resource Conservation ...................................................................... 6
1.4.2. Economic Value of Selected Precious Metals (PMs)............................................ 7
1.4.3. Jobs Creation ......................................................................................................... 8
1.4.4. Business opportunities .......................................................................................... 9
1.5. E-waste recycling chain ............................................................................................... 9
1.6. Scope of the thesis ..................................................................................................... 11
Chapter 2 ........................................................................................................................... 13
2.1. Mobile phone definitions ........................................................................................... 13
2.2. Advancements of mobile phones ............................................................................... 13
2.2.1. Early services of mobile telephones .................................................................... 14
2.2.2 Analog cellular networks – First Generation (1G) ............................................... 15
2.2.3. Digital cellular networks – Second Generation (2G) .......................................... 16
2.2.4 Mobile broadband data – Third Generation (3G)................................................. 17
2.2.5 Native IP networks – Fourth Generation (4G) ..................................................... 17
2.3. Evolution of Mobile phone design and material composition ................................... 18
2.4. Basic components of Mobile phones ......................................................................... 19
2.5. Material compositions of Mobile phones .................................................................. 20
2.6. Penetration of mobile phone subscriptions ................................................................ 22
2.7. Mobile phones in Egypt ............................................................................................. 23
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2.7.1. The entrance of a third company ......................................................................... 24
2.7.2. The fourth mobile network operator ................................................................... 24
2.8. Mobile phone usage and smart phone penetration in Egypt ...................................... 25
2.9. Smart Phone revolution.............................................................................................. 26
Chapter 3 ........................................................................................................................... 27
3.1. E-waste legislation in Europe .................................................................................... 28
3.1.1 Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive [2012] .............. 28
3.1.2 restricting the Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) Directive [2002] ............................................................................ 29
3.2 Case Study: Switzerland ............................................................................................. 30
3.2. 1. Background ........................................................................................................ 30
3.2.2 Stakeholders ......................................................................................................... 31
3.2.3 Material and financial flow in the Swiss E-waste management system .............. 33
3.2.4 Key issues for consideration in the Swiss model (success factors)...................... 35
3.2.4.1. The institutional factor (who should take the first step? The producer or policy maker) ............................................................................................................. 35
3.2.4.2. Economic factor (Securing financing: how to ensure a financially sustainable system?) ..................................................................................................................... 36
3.2.4.3 Logistics (what should the scope and logistics arrangement of the system be) .................................................................................................................................. 40
3.2.4.4 Ensuring compliance: how does the system ensure compliance of the various actors? ........................................................................................................................ 44
3.2.4.5 Restricting monopoly: how does the system prevent the abuse of monopoly powers? ...................................................................................................................... 48
3.3 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 50
Chapter 4 ........................................................................................................................... 51
4.1. Projection of End of life mobile phones .................................................................... 51
4.2. Legal framework ........................................................................................................ 58
4.2.1. International agreements/conventions signed and ratified by Egypt .................. 58
4.2.1.1. Basel Convention .......................................................................................... 58
4.2.2. National law ........................................................................................................ 59
4.2.2.1. Environment law........................................................................................... 59
4.2.2.2. Telecommunications law .............................................................................. 60
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4.2.2.3. Import and Export Law................................................................................. 60
4.3. Policies and initiatives ............................................................................................... 61
4.4. Mobile waste recycling activates ............................................................................... 61
4.4.1. Collection ............................................................................................................ 61
4.4.1.1. Informal collection ....................................................................................... 61
4.4.1.2. Formal collection .......................................................................................... 62
4.4.2. Pre-processing (refurbishment/dismantling) ....................................................... 65
4.4.3. End processing (recycling) .................................................................................. 66
4.4.3.1. Informal recycling ........................................................................................ 66
4. 4.3.2. Formal recycling .......................................................................................... 66
4.5. Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 71
Chapter 5 ........................................................................................................................... 72
5.1. Factors affecting the diffusion of Mobile waste Recycling ....................................... 72
5.1.1. Legal factors: ....................................................................................................... 72
5.1.2. Social factors: ...................................................................................................... 73
5.1.3. Technical factors ................................................................................................. 73
5.1.4. Economic factors: ................................................................................................ 73
5.1.5. Institutional factors .............................................................................................. 73
5.2. Structure analysis ....................................................................................................... 74
5.3. Future wheel Analysis................................................................................................ 78
5.4. SWOT analysis .......................................................................................................... 79
Chapter 6 ........................................................................................................................... 81
6.1. Institutional recommendations’ ................................................................................. 82
6.1.1 Establishing a national entity for E-waste management ...................................... 82
6.1.2. Comprehensive studies on E-waste status in Egypt ............................................ 83
6.2. Legal recommendations’ ............................................................................................ 83
6.2.1. Develop an Egyptian E-waste directives ............................................................. 83
6.2.2. Adopt and implement of Extended Producer Responsibility EPR ...................... 84
6.2.3. Develop an accreditation and licensing system for E-waste ............................... 84
6.2.4. Review/ amend the tenders and biding law ......................................................... 84
6.2.5. Reviewing the import/export law ........................................................................ 84
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6.3. Industrial development recommendations’ ................................................................ 85
6.3.1. Develop E-waste recycling Business Strategy .................................................... 85
6.3.2. Develop E-waste Youth Incubators..................................................................... 85
6.3.3. Setting up a regional recycling platforms ........................................................... 85
6.4. Cooperation and partnership recommendations’ ....................................................... 86
6.4.1. Promote Public-private partnership ..................................................................... 86
6.4.2. Allow informal collection of waste ..................................................................... 86
6.5. Raise community Awareness and disseminate information recommendations’........ 87
6.6. Develop E-waste Capacity Building Program recommendations’ ............................ 87
6.7. R & D/ knowledge sharing recommendations’ .......................................................... 87
6.7.1. Encourage cooperation between Government, Private, scientific/R&D institutions ..................................................................................................................... 87
6.7.2 Organize regional E-waste forum ........................................................................ 88
References .............................

Abstract:
Electronic waste (E-waste) is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world both in developed and developing countries. The increasing “market penetration” in developing countries, “replacement market” in developed countries and “high obsolescence rate” make E-waste one of the fastest waste streams. E-waste now makes up five percent of all municipal solid waste worldwide. Nearly the same amount as all plastic packaging, but it is much more hazardous. Mobile phones and computers are causing the biggest problem because they are replaced most often. At the end of the year 2015, there were more than 7 billion mobile cellular subscriptions in the world. More than two third of this number is in developing countries.
On one hand E-waste contains valuable materials like copper, aluminum and precious metals like silver, gold, platinum, palladium etc. On the other hand, the presences of elements like lead, mercury, arsenic or cadmium etc., E-waste as hazardous. With the absence of appropriate legislations, technologies, and protective measures of improper handling of E-waste will result in toxic emissions to the air, water and soil and pose significant health and environmental hazard.
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Based on the above, there is a pressing need to address proper E-waste management particularly in developing countries. Since the presence of valuable recyclable components attracts informal and un-organized sector. The unsafe and environmentally risky practices adopted by them pose great risks to health and environment
Therefore, this research work presents, analyzes studies and researches the E-waste management practice in Egypt with special focus on the mobile waste as it has the highest penetration rate in Egypt and worldwide.
The research work discusses the potentials and threats of E-waste/mobile waste recycling, and the different phases of recycling, and the significance of adopting mobile waste recycling system.
The research work presents the status of mobile waste management practices in Egypt. This includes the quantities, policies, regulations, and the End of life management starting from collection, preprocessing and including end processing.
In light of the findings, analysis, studies of best practices, and interviews which cover different stakeholders such as policy makers, formal recyclers, and private companies’ employees, the research work suggests some recommendations and guidelines to be considered in designing a sustainable management system for the end-of-life management of E-waste and in particular: the mobile waste. These recommendations need intervention from policy-makers, government and all stakeholders to close the existing gaps in policies and regulation, and to improve the overall waste management activities in the country.

Text in English, abstracts in English.