电子废物管理的政策实践：平衡和公平的循环经济工具

Tools for a balanced and faircircular economySecond edition - 2025 1. Foreword Globally, 81 countries have adopted e-was-te legislation or regulation, and 67 of themincludelegal provisions on EEE-EPR(3).Countrieswith well-enforced e-wasteregulations report collection rates of up to25 per cent - in contrast to negligible ratesin countries with no such legislation.(4) Universal and meaningful digital connecti-vity is a cornerstone of economic growthand societal development. Electrical andElectronic Equipment (EEE) holds immen-se potential to transform lives throughemergingtechnologies such as artificialintelligence, blockchain, and the Internetof Things (IoT). This toolkit provides actionable insightsand frameworks to design e-waste manage-ment systems that are fair, economicallyviable and tailored to local contexts. Ourcollective goal is to support an inclusiveand sustainable digital transformation -one that preserves our environment whileexpandingopportunity and advancinginnovation in the circular economy. Electronic waste (e-waste) is emerging as avital, yet underutilized, resource. In 2022,the world generated an estimated 62 milliontonnes of e-waste, including 31 million ton-nes of valuable metals - 4 million tonnes ofwhich are critical raw materials. The econo-mic value of these materials is estimated atUSD 91 billion. Yet, only 22 per cent of globale-waste was formally collected.(2) As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continuesto embrace digital transformation and sus-tainability, the Communications, Space &Technology Commission (CST), in collabo-ration with the International Telecommu-nication Union (ITU), is proud to presentthis toolkit. It serves as a practical guidefor policy-makers, regulators and industryleaders seeking to implement circular eco-nomy principles in the ICT sector. Yet, while digital progress accelerates, astark digital divide remains - with 2.6 bil-lion people globally still lacking access tothe Internet.(1)Bridging this gap and acce-lerating digitalization demands significantresources, this includes the transition toclean energy and smart mobility. The proper collection, reuse, or recycling,of e-waste not only prevents environmen-tal harm but also unlocks new economicopportunities through material recovery.However, managing e-waste is complexdue to the vast variety of components andmaterials involved. Dr Cosmas Luckyson ZavazavaDirector,Telecommunication Develop- ment Bureau, International Telecommuni-cation Union At the same time, concerns are growingover the long-term availability of criticalrawmaterials and rare-earth elements,which are essential to digital infrastructureanddevices.Today,global competitionover these finite resources is already affec-ting supply chains. Aneffective policy measure involvesmandating electronics producers to takeresponsibility for theentire lifecycle oftheir products. This includes the propermanagement, collection and environmen-tally sound disposal of products at theend-of-life stage. While this model maynot be universally applicable across all sec-tors, Electrical and Electronic EquipmentExtendedProducer Responsibility (EEE-EPR) is particularly well-suited to the ICTsector, where shorter product lifecycles,traceability andmaterial value recoverymake implementation both practical andimpactful. Mr. Naif Abdulhakeem SheshahDeputy Governor of Strategy and Digitiza- Saudi Arabia has taken early and concretestepstowards circularity in electronics.Through the “Recycle Your Device” initia-tive, launched by CST, over 100,000 useddevices were collected and processed inits first phase. This initiative reflects theKingdom’sbroader vision under SaudiVision2030 to promote environmentalstewardship and build a sustainable digitaleconomy. tion Communications, Space and Techno-logy Commission, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2. About the report This toolkit guides national and local gover-nment policy-makers in developing an effec-tive, inclusive and fair e-waste managementsystem based on the Extended ProducerResponsibility principle. International TelecommunicationUnion exchange information and best practice.The CST sustainability framework in thisareaalso promotes governmental,cor-porate and societal responsibility with agoal to adopt sustainability best practicesbyfostering the circular economy andeffective e-waste management. The aimis to reduce the negative impact from theunsustainable disposal of ICT devices. ITUis the United Nations specializedagency for information and communica-tiontechnologies(ICTs).One mandateis to tackle the growing issue of e-wasteglobally. The ITU is also involved in circu-lar economic activities, such as technicalregulatoryassistance,research,capaci-ty-building and developing internationalstandards. ITU has set a target for the“significant improvement of ICTs’ contri-bution to climate and environment acti-on,” indicators include the global e-wasterecycling rate, the number of countrieswith e-waste legislation and the contribu