E-wasteQuito

In 2019, up to 99,000 tons of e-waste were generated in Ecuador, of which less than 3 per cent has been processed by formal recycling companies. Against this background, the project's goal is to design and implement the first e-waste collection scheme in Ecuador. The mobile collection units, which will serve the whole city of Quito, will at the same time function as a learning center for e-waste management. This innovative double function is an effective way not only to increase the collecting rates, but also to reach and engage citizens and thus to create a greater positive impact. The collectors will be integrated to an app, so the residents can track the collections routes and will not only receive educational content on-site but also online. Based on the experiences, the project team seek to collect useful data, formulating policy recommendations to incorporate the normative of EPR on the city level – helping to replicate it elsewhere as well as to other waste streams.

The project is structured around four areas of intervention:  

1. design of an EPR Framework: development of an e-waste inventory, including data on the amounts and types of devices, a blueprint for a EPR regulation as well as other policy recommendations, capacity building & initiation of a voluntary alliance
2. e-waste collection pilot:  design of the mobile units, selection of routes, a web interface for citizens to receive educational content and localise the mobile collection units, training for the mobile collection team  
3. e-waste treatment and disposal: reuse, recycling and treatment of the collected e-waste
4. cross-cutting activities: development of the content for the mobile learning center and stakeholder engagement & development of Key Performane Indicators (KPIs) and a city monitoring plan as well as a plan for replication and upscaling

While Wuppertal Institute is responsible for Intervention area 4 and the overall lead of the project, the partners will be involved in all four areas of intervention, in order to use the synergies that result from the different professional backgrounds and experiences.