Towards circular e-waste management: How can digitalisation help? EPC Discussion Paper 30/09/2021.

Sipka, Stefan (2021) Towards circular e-waste management: How can digitalisation help? EPC Discussion Paper 30/09/2021. [Discussion Paper]

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Abstract

E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world. Most of it is mishandled, leading to more pollution, more greenhouse gas emissions and the loss of scarce and critical materials. Digitalisation can go a long way to establishing a circular management of e-waste and, thereby, a circular and sustainable economy. Digital solutions such as AI, blockchain or robotics can help to better collect and treat our discarded phones, televisions and computers, or to prevent them from becoming waste in the first place, by making information easier to share, improving processes and connecting the relevant actors across the value chain. However, despite their potential, these new technologies can also present challenges. The uptake of digital solutions by waste operators and producer responsibility organisations (PROs) are often hindered by costs and the EU’s fragmented market for e-waste management. Concerns over data protection can create obstacles to accessing and sharing data of relevance to circular e-waste management. If not steered properly, digital transformation can also lead to negative side effects, such as more e-waste. For e-waste management to become more circular and digital, policy must back it up.

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