WS #460 Building Digital Policy for Sustainable E Waste Management

Summary

This discussion focused on the urgency of e-waste management and its policy implications, exploring global frameworks and sustainable solutions. The session was moderated by Saba Tiku Beyene and featured speakers from diverse regions including representatives from the private sector, civil society, ITU, and Smart Africa. The panelists emphasized that e-waste represents both a significant challenge and an opportunity, particularly for developing countries where proper management could create bankable projects and economic benefits.

Hossam El Gamal highlighted Egypt’s situation as a major e-waste producer in Africa, generating 370,000 tons annually, with most waste handled by the informal sector using unsafe methods. He stressed the need for strengthened Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks, capacity building, and proper legislation enforcement. Jasmine Ko from Hong Kong discussed the importance of consumer behavior change and local adaptation of global solutions, sharing examples of mobile recycling stations to address logistical challenges in urban environments.

Emmanuel Niyikora from ITU outlined the organization’s work on EPR frameworks with countries like Rwanda and Zambia, emphasizing the need for international knowledge exchange and South-South cooperation. He highlighted that only 32% of the 62 million tons of global e-waste is formally collected and recycled annually. The discussion also explored how data-driven technologies like AI and IoT can support monitoring and enforcement of e-waste policies, with speakers noting that “we can’t manage what we can’t measure.”

Key recommendations included implementing sustainability by design, fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration, supporting youth innovation, and developing digital infrastructure for traceability. The panelists concluded that addressing e-waste requires a consultative approach involving both public and private sectors, with policies that can contribute to multiple Sustainable Development Goals while creating circular economy opportunities.

Keypoints

## Major Discussion Points:

– **E-waste as both challenge and opportunity**: Speakers emphasized that while e-waste represents a significant environmental and health challenge (with over 62 million tons generated annually and only 20% formally recycled), it also presents economic opportunities through job creation, circular economy principles, and bankable projects that can contribute to multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals.

– **Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks and policy development**: Multiple speakers discussed the importance of EPR policies that make manufacturers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, from design to disposal. Examples were shared from Egypt, Rwanda, Zambia, and other countries, highlighting the need for comprehensive legislation and enforcement mechanisms.

– **Role of technology and data-driven solutions**: The discussion explored how AI, IoT, and digital product passports can support e-waste monitoring and management. Speakers emphasized that “we can’t manage what we can’t measure” and highlighted the need for digital infrastructure to make e-waste traceable and create accountability in circular economy systems.

– **Multi-stakeholder collaboration and localization**: Participants stressed the importance of involving all stakeholders – governments, private sector, civil society, and youth – in developing and implementing e-waste policies. They emphasized adapting global standards and frameworks to local contexts, considering different user behaviors, infrastructure, and cultural factors.

– **Consumer awareness and behavior change**: The discussion addressed the critical need for public awareness campaigns and incentivizing consumers to participate in proper e-waste disposal, including examples of innovative collection methods like mobile recycling stations and smartphone apps to facilitate proper disposal.

## Overall Purpose:

The discussion aimed to explore urgent e-waste management challenges and policy solutions from a global perspective, sharing best practices across different regions and examining how various stakeholders can collaborate to create sustainable, circular economy approaches to electronic waste management.

## Overall Tone:

The discussion maintained a professional, collaborative, and solution-oriented tone throughout. Speakers were constructive and knowledge-sharing, with each participant building upon others’ contributions. The tone was urgent yet optimistic, acknowledging serious challenges while emphasizing opportunities for innovation and positive change. The session concluded on an encouraging note with actionable takeaways and calls for continued collaboration.

Speakers

**Speakers from the provided list:**

– **Saba Tiku Beyene** – Moderator, former MAG member, currently serving as junior advisor at the Africa Union office, representing women’s movement “Defend knives, not guns”

– **Hossam El Gamal** – Private sector representative from Africa, MAG member (current and former for three years), focuses on industry solutions and applications

– **Jasmine Ko** – Co-founder of Hong Kong Youth IGF, former project lead and researcher on eco-Internet initiative, specializes in sustainable consumption intersecting with the Internet

– **Participant** – Youth ambassador for the Internet Society, works in digital infrastructure helping medium and large companies with data infrastructure, business intelligence and sustainability across automotive, fintech and agribusiness industries

– **Athanase Bahizire** – Online moderator from the Democratic Republic of Congo

– **Thelma Quaye** – Works at Smart Africa leading digital infrastructure, digital skills and gender matters

– **Emmanuel Niyikora** – Program officer at ITU Regional Office for Africa based in Senegal, coordinates capacity development and youth-related activities, works on extended producer responsibility efforts

**Additional speakers:**

– **Audience (Leandro Navarro)** – Representative from an NGO, member of ITU study group five question seven on circular economy, waste and supply chain, former reporter and current expert

– **Nicholas** – Online participant who submitted a question (mentioned by the online moderator)

# Summary: E-Waste Management and Policy Implications Discussion

## Introduction and Context

This discussion was moderated by Saba Tiku Beyene, former MAG member and junior advisor at the Africa Union office. The panel included Hossam El Gamal, a private sector representative from Africa and current MAG member; Jasmine Ko, co-founder of Hong Kong Youth IGF; Emmanuel Niyikora, programme officer at ITU Regional Office for Africa; Thelma Quaye from Smart Africa; and a participant working with the Internet Society. The session also featured online participation, including contributions from Athanase Bahizire as online moderator and audience member Leandro Navarro from an NGO and member of ITU study group five.

The discussion explored e-waste management challenges and policy solutions, examining how global frameworks can be adapted to local contexts while creating sustainable solutions.

## The Scale of the E-Waste Challenge

The Internet Society participant presented concerning statistics about the global e-waste crisis, noting that “the global e-waste system is mostly blind” with over 62 million metric tonnes of e-waste generated annually, yet only 32% formally collected and recycled. This measurement problem was highlighted with the observation that “we can’t manage what we can’t measure.”

Hossam El Gamal provided regional context, explaining that Egypt generates an estimated 370,000 tonnes of e-waste annually, with projections showing increases due to rapid technological adoption and shorter product lifecycles. He noted that most of this waste is currently handled by the informal sector using unsafe methods, creating environmental and health risks while missing economic opportunities.

## E-Waste as Economic Opportunity

A key theme emerged when Hossam El Gamal reframed the discussion by stating that “e-waste is a challenge, a risk, but is really an opportunity.” He argued that e-waste management represents “bankable projects” that developing countries should actively pursue, emphasizing that proper management could transform challenges into profitable opportunities.

Thelma Quaye supported this perspective, highlighting that e-waste management can create value and drive innovation. The speakers noted that effective e-waste management addresses multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals, including those related to sustainable consumption, health, water, decent work, sustainable cities, and climate action.

## Extended Producer Responsibility Frameworks

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) emerged as a cornerstone policy approach. Hossam El Gamal advocated for “comprehensive regulations focusing on strengthening Extended Producer Responsibility with clear mandates for manufacturers, importers and retailers.” He cited Egypt’s Law 202 in 2020, which treats e-waste as hazardous waste with specific collection, recycling and disposal guidelines through authorized facilities, and noted Egypt’s membership in the Basel Convention.

Emmanuel Niyikora provided an international perspective, explaining that ITU works with countries to develop EPR frameworks while promoting international knowledge exchange. He mentioned ITU’s work facilitating collaboration between countries including Nigeria, South Africa, Colombia, and India. He emphasized that effective EPR policies require “consultative approaches involving both public and private sectors, including youth for innovation.”

## Technology and Data-Driven Solutions

The role of technology in e-waste management generated significant discussion. The Internet Society participant argued that “data-driven technologies like AI, IoT and digital product passports are essential tools” for effective e-waste management, emphasizing that “digital infrastructure investment is needed beyond just policies to make e-waste traceable and accountable.”

Leandro Navarro from the audience discussed ongoing work to “develop open source implementations of digital passports for electronics,” specifically mentioning github.com/reuse. He emphasized that without open source implementations, smaller organizations cannot effectively participate in innovation.

The discussion identified several technological applications: AI for predictive analytics, IoT for real-time tracking, and digital product passports for lifecycle management. However, speakers acknowledged that technology alone is insufficient without proper infrastructure investment and supportive policy frameworks.

## Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration and Local Adaptation

Strong consensus emerged around the necessity of multi-stakeholder collaboration. Jasmine Ko emphasized that “multi-stakeholder initiatives involving industry, government and civil society are crucial for effective e-waste management.”

The localization challenge proved particularly important. Jasmine Ko raised questions about adaptation: “How do we make sure that we are able to adopt and really create, design something that fits into the community with different user behaviour, density, and language?” She provided a concrete example from Hong Kong, where traditional collection centers failed because working hours clashed with collection times. This led to innovative solutions including 18 district recycling branches and mobile recycling trucks.

This example illustrated how policies can fail without consideration of local contexts and user behaviors, demonstrating the need for flexible implementation of global standards.

## Consumer Behavior and Awareness

Consumer awareness emerged as a fundamental challenge. Hossam El Gamal identified a “huge awareness gap among consumers regarding proper e-waste disposal and recycling processes.”

Jasmine Ko took a more systemic approach, arguing that consumer behavior changes require proper incentives and infrastructure support. Her Hong Kong example demonstrated how policy design must accommodate actual user needs rather than ideal behaviors.

## Specific Initiatives and Examples

Several concrete examples were discussed:

– Egypt’s Dr. Wee app for e-waste collection

– Hong Kong’s mobile recycling truck solution addressing working hour conflicts

– ITU’s knowledge exchange programs between developing countries

– Open source digital passport implementations through platforms like github.com/reuse

## Challenges and Questions

The discussion identified several ongoing challenges:

– The need to formalize informal e-waste sectors while maintaining livelihoods

– Balancing global standards with local implementation needs

– Ensuring data privacy in digital tracking solutions

– Addressing emerging issues like cryptographically obsolete IoT devices (raised by audience member Nicholas)

## Key Recommendations

The discussion generated several recommendations:

– Countries should seek and replicate existing successful e-waste management projects

– Investment in digital infrastructure beyond just policies to enable traceability

– Development of global standards for digital product passports

– Continued international knowledge exchange programs

– Open source implementations to ensure accessibility for smaller organizations

– Consumer education on proper e-waste disposal

## Conclusion

The discussion demonstrated broad agreement on fundamental approaches to e-waste management, including the importance of EPR frameworks, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and technology-driven solutions. The conversation successfully reframed e-waste from purely an environmental burden to an economic opportunity requiring coordinated policy, technology, and behavioral interventions.

Key areas of consensus included the need for better measurement and tracking systems, the importance of adapting global standards to local contexts, and the potential for e-waste management to contribute to sustainable development goals. The emphasis on youth engagement and South-South cooperation suggests promising directions for future development, while unresolved questions around emerging technologies and informal sector integration indicate areas requiring continued attention.

Saba Tiku Beyene: I’m here on behalf of the women’s movement Defend knives, not guns. Making a difference in the world. I’m a former mag member and currently serving as a junior advisor at the Africa union office and I will be moderating this session. So this session we will be discussing the urgency of e-waste management and its policy implications. We will explore different global frameworks such as ITUs or international telecommunications union EPR principles as well as different national legislations promoting sustainable e-waste management within states. We shall also explore the role of different actors including policy makers, IC device producers, civil society and the individual users in fostering sustainability as well. Our distinguished speakers of course will share their best practices from diverse regions on how digital innovations can really support e-waste reduction as well as circular economy principles and their real world impacts. So saying this, let’s quickly meet our speakers and I will ask each one of them to briefly introduce themselves. So I will start with online speakers if they have joined. First we have Emmanuel. So I will go ahead with our on-site speakers and I will first start with Hossam.

Hossam El Gamal: Hossam El Gamal, I’m a private sector representative from Africa. I am currently a mag member and I used to be a mag member for three years before and I focus mainly on industry for solutions and applications. Thank you.

Saba Tiku Beyene: Thank you very much Hossam, thank you for joining us.

Jasmine Ko: And we have Jasmine. Thank you for having me here, this is Jasmine Koh from Hong Kong. So I have a passion on sustainable consumption and intersecting with the Internet, so I’m here and now currently I’m a co-founder of Hong Kong Youth IGF. I was a former project lead and researcher on eco-Internet in that initiative. So the reason that I’m being here is to bring some Asia perspective, good case practices and also how my former research experience could give an insight from a border sustainable carbon footprint measurement methodology into UA. So that’s why I’m here. Thank you.

Participant: Thank you very much. Thank you Sabah. Hi everyone. My name is Hossam El Muraie. I am currently a youth ambassador for the Internet Society and I work in the digital infrastructure. I help medium and large size companies basically with their data infrastructure, with business intelligence and also with sustainability. I’m deeply engaged with sustainability. I worked in diverse industry, automotive, fintech and currently the agribusiness where we are helping industries manage their energy monitoring and working as well on prediction. So happy to be here today.

Saba Tiku Beyene: Thank you very much. Glad to have you all here. And then I will go ahead and give the floor to our online moderator and our rapporteur to briefly also introduce themselves.

Athanase Bahizire: Greetings everyone. Can you hear? Yes. Thank you so much. My name is Thomas Olsen Aarheim from the Democratic Republic of Congo and I will be helping with online moderation here and happy to be here with you. Thank you.

Saba Tiku Beyene: Thank you, Athanas. We have Dina as our online moderator. Dina, are you with us? Okay.

Athanase Bahizire: Hey, Sabah. We can proceed for now. Thank you.

Saba Tiku Beyene: All right. All right. So thank you to all of you. Now let’s dive deep into our discussion. I will now invite each of our speakers to respond to a question which is tailored to their area of expertise. So you will have maximum up to five minutes so that we have a space for Q&A. And then we will have a Q&A session. So please feel free to ask your questions. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I will now hand over theですか to both of you to start your question and then we will have Q&A. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Welcome. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Hossam El Gamal: Thank you. Thank you. Well, e-Waste is a very interesting topic. Because from one end it represents clear challenge, especially in developing countries. But at the same time it does represent opportunity in the same time. So with proper actions we can easily turn the challenge into opportunity and even profit for some. In order to be able to handle waste management, we always need to start with awareness. And then we need to have capacity building for the right people that are going to handle e-Waste. And we need incentivized legislation or policies that would encourage corporates providing and producing electronics to do the post-implementation support and to recycle or to change or to dismantle properly their goods. And finally, we need to have clear regulations that would be respected in the way they are going to handle the e-Waste. I will give you, for example, in Egypt, this is my country, Egypt is one of the major producers of e-Waste annually in Africa. With an estimated 370,000 tons and projected to increase further due to rapid technological adoption and shorter product life cycle. Generally this sector is really dominated by informal side. Large portion of e-Waste is still managed by the informal sector. Garbage dealers, waste collectors, etc. While they do recover some valuable material, their practice often involves crude and unsafe methods. Example, open burning or acid leaching, leading to severe environmental pollution and health risk for workers and surrounding communities. We had a legislation in 2020, Legislation Law 202, for the e-Waste as hazardous waste and with specific conditions, providing guidelines for collection, recycling and disposal through authorized factories under the Ministry of Environment. And also we have import restriction, a restriction to import used electronics older than five years old is completely prohibited and it is completely prohibited to import e-Waste. Egypt is also a member of Basel Convention, which controls the transboundary movement of hazardous waste, including e-Waste. But the fact is, we have limited formal infrastructure. Despite the regulations, the formal collection and recycling of infrastructure remain very limited. Only a small percentage of generated e-Waste is formally collected and recycled, with the majority ending up in uncontrolled landfills or being informally processed. And there is a huge awareness gap, lack of public awareness among Egyptian households regarding proper e-Waste disposal and recycling processes. Many consumers store old electronics or dispose them with regular trash. There is, from another perspective, emerging initiatives. Some initiatives are such as Dr. Wee, which uses a smartphone app to incentivize e-Waste collection and facilitate proper dismantling and sorting. So what we need is, we need to build a true sustainable and people-centered e-Waste management system in Egypt. A comprehensive set of regulations and policies needed, focusing on key areas. So strengthening and enforcing extended producer responsibilities, EPR, is very important. With clear mandates to implement robust EPR schemes that legally mandate manufacturers, importers and retailers to take responsibility. Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos

Saba Tiku Beyene: Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos

Jasmine Ko: Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos So I’ll give the floor back to Sabah.

Saba Tiku Beyene: Thank you. Thank you very much, Jasmine, for that, for your wonderful intervention. Indeed also for mentioning about the multi-stakeholder initiatives and how the industry itself can support this, can strengthen this. And also I mentioned some examples coming from Hong Kong. And also, yes, as you said, we need more local empowerment opportunities. So I will now go ahead with our interventions from the online speakers. We have Thelma from Smart Africa. Thelma, I will give you the floor to first briefly introduce yourself to the floor. And then I will go ahead with my question, which is from Smart Africa’s perspective as a leading international organization in the digital space. What best practices from different regions can really inform the development of globally aligned digital policies when it comes to e-waste management and how can this be adopted to local context? Over to you.

Thelma Quaye: Thank you. Thank you very much. And once again, my apologies. I think I joined in a bit late. So by way of introduction, my name is Thelma. And within Smart Africa, I lead the digital infrastructure, digital skills as well as gender matters. And maybe for the purpose of those who do not know Smart Africa, we are a pan-African organization and our focus really is on building a single digital market through a multi-stakeholder approach. We have a membership of about 40 countries and over 60 private companies. Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos

Saba Tiku Beyene: Thank you very much, Thelma, for your interventions. Indeed, you mentioned some of the examples led by Congo, as well as some of the initiatives in Romania, and also some of the best practices, which is first to embed US into accessibility, and also promoting reuse, which can also generate job as well as economic growth, and also strengthening the cross-regional collaboration, which is important. And thank you again for that. I’ll now go ahead and give the floor to our online speaker, Emmanuel, thank you very much for joining us. First, I would like you to briefly introduce yourself, and then reflect upon, given from your experience working within the ITU, which is the International Telecommunication Union, we know that ITU has been making a lot of effort to address in US, so how can governments as well as regulatory bodies can strengthen the digital policies such as the extended producer responsibility, or EPR, and the right to repair and to ensure sustainable US management. Over to you.

Emmanuel Niyikora: Thank you so much, Sabah. Good morning, everyone. Sorry, apologies for joining a bit late. I got confused of the time. Sorry for that, and happy that I’m able to be part of this very interesting discussion. Yeah, my name is, as Sabah said, I’m called Emmanuel Nikora. I’m a program officer at ITU, Regional Office for Africa. I’m based in Senegal, the ITU office that cover the West Africa. But in my work streams, I also work on programs that addresses the issues of US, especially the extended producer responsibility efforts with countries. and I also coordinate capacitance case development, the youth-related activities at ITU. So ITU, I think, has been introduced by Samba. ITU is a United Nations specialized agency for digital technologies. It’s a member-driven organization. We have 194 member states and also plus 1,000 technical sector, academia and international organization member states. So when it comes to e-waste, e-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams globally for reasons that I think we all know with the growing technology. According to the global e-waste monitor, we are currently generating over 62 million tons annually of e-waste. So then when we look at, we have 32%, which is formally collected and recycled. So which means the remaining 78 remain unmanaged and resulting in polluting our land, air, water and causing severe health risks in the process. So we know the uptake of mobile phones and the laptops. So behind every discarded phone and laptops, laptops are a hidden cost. We can ask ourselves when we discard our phones and our laptops, where do they go? I think most of us, we don’t know what happens after we discard our phones and our laptops. So that’s the problem that we need to address. So this unchecked or unaddressed growth of e-waste poses significant threats to our environment. But this crisis also presents an opportunity to transition from traditional oil and air to a circular economy where electronic products are designed, used and recycled more sustainably. So that’s where the ITU has been working with countries to work on what we call extended producer responsibility frameworks and policies. So we’ve been working with countries like Rwanda and Zambia to develop this extended producer responsibility work streams. We are also now initiating a project that is focusing on international knowledge exchange where we bring countries together to learn from each other and strengthen their e-waste regulatory framework. So this international exchange program is a new one and it is very interesting where we have two countries in Africa, Nigeria and South Africa. And then we have other countries like Colombia, India that we work together to learn from each other. So this is a part of a global South cooperation effort. The project will promote exchange of best practices and lessons learned on extended producer responsibility, sustainable financing and stakeholder engagement strategies for e-waste management. So through study tours, there will be study tours in Africa. We will have a study tour in Pretoria and Joburg where there is a recycling company to run what’s being done there. So sharing lessons and that will result in developing a policy toolkit for extended producer responsibility. So the initiative aims to equip African policy makers and industry stakeholders because this will involve the public and industry stakeholders. So with the tools to be inclusive and environmentally sound, economically and viable economic systems. So this initiative aligns with the work of ITU on creating a cycle economy for electronics. So this is not a lot I could share for ITU. So extended producer responsibility aims to give the responsibility to the producers, you know, right from when the design of the product, not really burden the government to take responsibility of the e-waste management. So it should be a collective effort and giving the responsibility to the producers right from the design to take into account the recycling and disposal of the electronic waste. So this will create again a cycle economy and create jobs. But of course, we know that when you add the responsibility to producers, sometimes it ends up coming to the users, to the consumers. That’s why this policy needs, again, a consultative efforts between different public organizations, public institutions and the government and the private producers.

Saba Tiku Beyene: Thank you so much, Emmanuel. I would have to cut you because of…

Emmanuel Niyikora: Okay, no, it’s fine. Yeah, I was just going to mention the involvement of youth because we are also working to support the youth that have initiatives to contribute to these efforts of cycle economy and the recycling of used products. So, yeah, that was my final contribution. Thank you so much and back to you, Sabah.

Saba Tiku Beyene: Thank you very much, Emmanuel, for that wonderful intervention and also for mentioning examples from across different countries from the region as well as efforts done by the ITU when to address the e-waste management as well as talking about the circular economy. I will now go ahead and give the floor to our last speaker and then we will go ahead to our Q&A or any comment from the audience online. So, Osam, given from your experience working in the private sector, how do you think data-driven technologies such as AI as well as IoT and digital products as well can support the monitoring, enforcement and innovation of e-waste policies across industries? Over to you.

Participant: Thank you, Sabah. So, when we are talking about e-waste policies, for example, the extended producer responsibility or the right to repair, we mainly focus on legislations, stakeholder engagement or sustainability goal. But we rarely ask a very important question, what systems do we actually have to make these policies work? And from my perspective as a data professional, I believe that data-driven technologies are the essential tool to translate these policies into measurable and scalable action. And let me give you a simple truth. We can’t manage what we can’t measure. And right now, the global e-waste system is mostly blind. When we are talking, for example, about the global e-waste monitor, the world generates over 62 million metric tons of e-waste. Less than 20% is formally collected and recycled. So, we have a huge amount of e-waste in our country. And we have also the global e-waste system, which means that we have millions of tons of devices, of batteries, of toxic components that are not accounted for. And here comes exactly the role of AI, IoT, and digital product passports. With detecting which materials we can, for example, recover. Also, it can help us forecast the product failure before it happens. Also, it can help us detect and analyze the patterns of the global waste or the waste management. So, this will give policymakers a real ability to act. Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos Aarheim, Emmanuel Niyikora, Dina Santana Santos This tool, across all borders, across all technologies, otherwise we will be creating silos rather than data sharing solutions. And lastly, I would mention that we should not, we must not overlook data responsibility because with increasing accessibility, we need clear rules about data privacy, about ownership and accessibility, which are all under the umbrella of these governance practices. And I will go back to you, Sabah.

Saba Tiku Beyene: Thank you very much, Ossam. You said one powerful word, which is we can’t manage what we can’t measure. And of course, thank you very much for also mentioning about the digital products passport, also not overlooking the responsibilities, focusing into data privacy and data governance as well. And thank you for your interventions again. Now, yes, since we have only a few minutes left, I will give the floor to Q&A or any comment from the floor. Of course, if you are joining us online, our online moderator, Atanas, will bring your questions to the floor. OK, I see one question from on site. Yes. Yes, that one. And please briefly introduce yourself and answer the question. Thank you.

Audience: Hi, do you hear me? Yeah. So Leandro Navarro, I’m coming from an NGO, but I’m also a member of ITU, the study group five, question seven, which is about circular economy, waste and supply chain. I was a reporter until the end of the year, but still I’m an expert. So just I wanted to comment that regarding ITU, there is also the ITU-R, sorry, ITU-T in which we develop standards. And there are several standards which are publicly available that talk about different aspects of not only e-waste, but also the circular economy. You will find, for instance, one recommendation that provides guidelines for national legislation regarding e-waste. We are in the publication process of an e-waste collection standard, which standards are important because when it comes to develop legislation, it’s important that is certain harmonization across across the different countries, especially because the electronics supply chain is global and then is a global problem. And we need a global, but also local, regional solutions to make sure that it doesn’t get worse. And I recommend you to look at the L series of recommendations in which you will find different aspects, including one recommendation about EPR. But the problem is so hard that I think it’s not enough to come up with legislation, regulation, but we need to act. And there is an encouragement to to to explore innovative ways to deal with a problem that is becoming bigger and bigger as we go. And in practical terms, for instance, a couple of examples. You were talking about the DPP in my activist side of it. Since I was working on standards on DPP in ITU, we are also working with civil society organizations to develop open source implementations of digital passports for electronics. So if you want to go to github.com slash reuse, you will find the code we are developing, because without open source implementations, we cannot really ensure that all this, well, the small, medium size and and tiny organizations are innovating. They would they need to code. They need data. They need tools to produce this information because, you know, digitalization is a form of formalization of the informal sector. And by lowering the entry barrier, we will enable to go from about 80 percent of products that disappear when they become waste to the opposite, because in the end, it’s an environmental problem. There is also encouragement to look at the opportunities to work on the right to repair in different regions. For instance, I’m part of the right to repair EU, but I encourage different communities to create these regional actors, because in the end, even though the problem is global, local solutions are different. And it’s important to create an environment where innovation can find a community, a multi-stakeholder community that can guide them to make sure that they are successful, because the problem deserves solutions. Thank you.

Saba Tiku Beyene: Thank you very much for that for that comment. And do we have any questions online, Atanas?

Athanase Bahizire: Yes, Sabah, thank you. We have a question from Nicholas here. It says with the rapid progress in post-quantum cryptography and the reality that many existing IoT devices cannot be adapted due to firmware and hardware limitations. How should government and regulators prepare for the imminent wave for cryptographical obsolete devices, especially to ensure secure and off-life handling and enforcement on the EPR formats?

Saba Tiku Beyene: Thank you very much. Anyone would like to reflect?

Jasmine Ko: Can I just quickly reflect on the on-site response? I really appreciate you sharing the work standards that have been set by the ITU. I think they are good resources for national governments, regional alliance and even the grassroots community. They have been like who care about EU ways to actually look into it. And the thing is how how I think some of you also mentioned it’s about localizing the global problem. How do we make sure that we are able to adopt and really create, design something that fits into the community? Because people may have different user behavior. We have different density. We have different language. So it’s all about how how do the people bring bring the great global resources back to the local? So I think that these so so one, I think one, something that my community have been doing, trying to references to some global standards and and and try to implement. There are many challenges, I have to say, because it is about what we haven’t mentioned more about consumer behavior and mindset is how would people be incentivized to really add on with using their own ways? Why? You know, like but such as OK, choosing some part of that in the end of the life cycle, creating less waste or like they really do trade, trade in or like really to recycle their the devices they’ve been using. So in Hong Kong, we actually have we actually have recycling, recycling branches in our 18 districts. But we know that the problem is Hong Kong, like Hong Kong people are always, you know, over time working. And then the opening hour of this office are actually kind of crushed to business hours, so we cannot recycle in a weekday. So everyone have to rush to recycle in a weekend. And that creates some kind of logistic problem. So something that being smartly defunct, it’s we at the Hong Kong government trying to have some flexible hour on some mobile station. So not just in a physical store. So I actually have a truck to go around different district in B.C. office CBD area so that to cater people who really want to do recycling during the office hour or the lunch break. Thank you very much.

Saba Tiku Beyene: Thank you. Thank you, Jasmine, for for your. Since we only have five minutes, I would like to maybe ask each panelist to share a final key takeaways or just share upon the comment that we made from our on-site participants. So yeah, something actionable in just 30 seconds or one minute maximum. And I will start with on-site, yeah.

Hossam El Gamal: So once again, Hosam El Gamal, Private Sector Africa. In brief, and especially if I’m talking to developing countries, e-waste is a challenge, a risk, but is really an opportunity. E-waste management is a real opportunity. Why? Because first of all, it can be bankable. E-waste can be considered as bankable projects. And thus, what is required for countries is to search for existing success stories of bankable projects managing e-waste and build on that to replicate in their own countries. One thing very important for all countries to work on e-waste is the fact that e-waste reply to many of the SDGs. I’ll just name, I will number the SDGs, and then you can name it because there are too many. SDG 12, target 12.4, 12.5, SDG 3, target 3.9, SDG 6, target 6.3, SDG 8, target 8.8, SDG 11, target 11.6, SDG 14, 15, and 13. And indirectly, SDG 4, 9, and 17. So for any country working on the SDGs and having a plan to achieve, this is quite important to take into consideration and to encourage having bankable projects in this area and to create the proper awareness for the different stakeholders with that regard. Thank you very much.

Saba Tiku Beyene: Thank you very much. Jasmine? Okay, sorry.

Jasmine Ko: So I think one takeaway for each of you is considering, be aware of how many devices you have, and also considering what kind of more eco-friendly design product that you could have. Think about how you could do more and waste less in your own personal capacity. I think that’s my call to action.

Participant: Okay. So from my side, three fast takeaways. First of all, government industry should invest in digital infrastructure, not just in policies because this is where we can make the e-waste traceable. Second, we need, like we said, to make these global standards, international standards for the products, passports, to make the compliance and innovation in a global scale. And lastly, I believe that we should stop treating data as an afterthought. In fact, data is not for just transparency, but it’s the foundation of accountability as well for a true, for a key circular economy. Thank you. Thank you.

Saba Tiku Beyene: Thank you very much, Osama. Manuel and Thelma.

Thelma Quaye: Okay. Should I go?

Saba Tiku Beyene: Yeah, sure.

Thelma Quaye: So, thank you very much for the opportunity, and I think that we, the first three panelists, and allow me to summarize what they have said to say, if we want a truly global, you know, digital future, we need to build one where sustainability is not an afterthought. It has to be sustainability by design. We need to be our own architects. And when it comes to e-waste, it’s an opportunity, it’s a great opportunity to create value, to drive innovation, and show what inclusive and circular digital economies can look like. Thank you very much.

Saba Tiku Beyene: Thank you. Thank you very much, Thelma and Manuel.

Emmanuel Niyikora: Thank you so much. So, I think my previous speakers have already said, for me, I would say, yes, design, sustainability by design, and then it has to be a consultative approach, private and public consultations. So, in terms of when we are building the extended producer responsibility policies, so we need to involve everyone, including the youth, then to bring in innovation. That is important. Look at the youth that are very active in this space, because there’s no solution now to e-waste. Thank you. So, we need to bring in innovation, and when we talk innovation, we need to support the youth innovations in this space. So, that’s my contribution. And then come out to the public and private in building the policies, but also in applying the policies, making sure that, especially in the case for Africa, making sure that we know what comes in, in terms of…

Saba Tiku Beyene: Thank you very much, Emmanuel. Yes. Thank you. Thank you very much. We’re a bit over time. So, I’d like to say, yes, thank you so, so much to all of our speakers, both on-site and online, also to our reporters, online moderators for joining us and staying with us. As a requirement, we’ll be posting the key summaries as well as takeaways on the IGF website. So, please feel free to go ahead and read or refer it. So, yeah, that’s all. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. I think let’s take a photo together.

Agreement points

E-waste management requires comprehensive multi-stakeholder collaboration

Speakers

– Saba Tiku Beyene
– Jasmine Ko
– Emmanuel Niyikora
– Thelma Quaye

Arguments

Multiple actors including policy makers, ICT device producers, civil society and individual users all have roles in fostering sustainability

Multi-stakeholder initiatives involving industry, government and civil society are crucial for effective e-waste management

EPR policies require consultative approaches involving both public and private sectors, including youth for innovation

Cross-regional collaboration and knowledge sharing between countries like Nigeria, South Africa, Colombia and India strengthens regulatory frameworks

Summary

All speakers agree that effective e-waste management cannot be achieved by any single actor alone and requires coordinated efforts across government, industry, civil society, and individual users through inclusive consultation processes

Topics

Development | Legal and regulatory

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is fundamental to effective e-waste management

Speakers

– Hossam El Gamal
– Emmanuel Niyikora

Arguments

Comprehensive regulations are needed focusing on strengthening Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) with clear mandates for manufacturers, importers and retailers

ITU works with countries like Rwanda and Zambia to develop EPR frameworks and promotes international knowledge exchange between countries

Summary

Both speakers emphasize EPR as a critical policy framework that places responsibility on producers throughout the product lifecycle, with ITU actively supporting countries in developing these frameworks

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Development

E-waste represents significant economic opportunities beyond environmental challenges

Speakers

– Hossam El Gamal
– Thelma Quaye

Arguments

E-waste represents both a clear challenge and opportunity, especially in developing countries, with proper actions turning challenges into profitable opportunities

E-waste management can be bankable projects that countries should replicate based on existing success stories

E-waste represents an opportunity to create value, drive innovation and demonstrate inclusive circular digital economies

Summary

Both speakers view e-waste not just as an environmental problem but as a significant economic opportunity that can drive innovation, create value, and support sustainable development when properly managed

Topics

Economic | Development

Technology and data-driven solutions are essential for effective e-waste management

Speakers

– Saba Tiku Beyene
– Participant
– Audience

Arguments

Digital innovations can support e-waste reduction and circular economy principles with real world impacts

Data-driven technologies like AI, IoT and digital product passports are essential tools to translate policies into measurable and scalable action

Open source implementations of digital passports for electronics are being developed to lower entry barriers for organizations

Summary

Speakers agree that technological solutions, particularly AI, IoT, and digital passports, are crucial for making e-waste management measurable, traceable, and scalable

Topics

Infrastructure | Development

Awareness and capacity building are foundational to successful e-waste management

Speakers

– Hossam El Gamal
– Jasmine Ko

Arguments

E-waste management requires starting with awareness, followed by capacity building for proper handling personnel

There is a huge awareness gap among consumers regarding proper e-waste disposal and recycling processes

Consumer behavior and mindset changes are essential, requiring incentives for people to participate in proper e-waste disposal

Summary

Both speakers identify public awareness and behavioral change as fundamental prerequisites for effective e-waste management, noting significant gaps in consumer knowledge about proper disposal methods

Topics

Development | Sociocultural

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers highlight the massive scale of the e-waste problem, with Hossam providing regional data from Egypt and Participant providing global statistics, both emphasizing the growing nature of the challenge and poor management rates

Speakers

– Hossam El Gamal
– Participant

Arguments

Egypt produces 370,000 tons of e-waste annually with projected increases due to rapid technological adoption and shorter product lifecycles

The global e-waste system is mostly blind with over 62 million metric tons generated globally but less than 20% formally collected and recycled

Topics

Development

Both speakers emphasize the importance of engaging younger generations and local communities in developing innovative solutions, recognizing that grassroots involvement is essential for effective implementation

Speakers

– Emmanuel Niyikora
– Jasmine Ko

Arguments

Youth innovation and involvement are critical for developing solutions to e-waste challenges

Local empowerment opportunities and community-based solutions are needed to address the global problem at local levels

Topics

Development | Sociocultural

Both speakers advocate for proactive, systematic approaches to e-waste management that go beyond reactive policy measures to include fundamental infrastructure and design changes

Speakers

– Participant
– Thelma Quaye

Arguments

Digital infrastructure investment is needed beyond just policies to make e-waste traceable and accountable

Sustainability must be designed into products from the beginning rather than treated as an afterthought

Topics

Infrastructure | Development

Unexpected consensus

E-waste as economic opportunity rather than just environmental burden

Speakers

– Hossam El Gamal
– Thelma Quaye

Arguments

E-waste represents both a clear challenge and opportunity, especially in developing countries, with proper actions turning challenges into profitable opportunities

E-waste management can be bankable projects that countries should replicate based on existing success stories

E-waste represents an opportunity to create value, drive innovation and demonstrate inclusive circular digital economies

Explanation

It’s unexpected that speakers from different sectors (private sector representative and international organization) would so strongly emphasize the economic opportunities of e-waste management rather than focusing primarily on environmental concerns, suggesting a mature understanding of circular economy principles

Topics

Economic | Development

Critical importance of data and measurement in e-waste management

Speakers

– Participant
– Hossam El Gamal

Arguments

We can’t manage what we can’t measure – the lack of visibility in e-waste tracking is a fundamental problem

E-waste management addresses multiple SDGs including targets related to sustainable consumption, health, water, decent work, sustainable cities, and climate action

Explanation

The strong consensus on data-driven approaches from both technical and policy perspectives is unexpected, showing alignment between data professionals and policy makers on the fundamental need for measurable, trackable systems

Topics

Development | Infrastructure

Overall assessment

Summary

Speakers demonstrated remarkable consensus across key areas including the need for multi-stakeholder collaboration, EPR frameworks, technology-driven solutions, and viewing e-waste as economic opportunity. There was strong agreement on the importance of awareness building, youth involvement, and data-driven approaches.

Consensus level

High level of consensus with no significant disagreements identified. This strong alignment suggests the e-waste management field has matured to where stakeholders from different sectors (private, public, international organizations, civil society) share common understanding of challenges and solutions. The implications are positive for policy development and implementation, as this consensus provides a solid foundation for coordinated global action on e-waste management.

Different viewpoints

Primary focus for e-waste management solutions

Speakers

– Hossam El Gamal
– Participant

Arguments

Comprehensive regulations are needed focusing on strengthening Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) with clear mandates for manufacturers, importers and retailers

Digital infrastructure investment is needed beyond just policies to make e-waste traceable and accountable

Summary

Hossam emphasizes regulatory frameworks and EPR as the primary solution, while the Participant argues that technology infrastructure is more critical than policies alone for effective e-waste management

Topics

Legal and regulatory | Infrastructure | Development

Approach to consumer engagement in e-waste management

Speakers

– Hossam El Gamal
– Jasmine Ko

Arguments

There is a huge awareness gap among consumers regarding proper e-waste disposal and recycling processes

Consumer behavior and mindset changes are essential, requiring incentives for people to participate in proper e-waste disposal

Summary

Hossam focuses on awareness gaps as the core consumer issue, while Jasmine emphasizes the need for behavioral incentives and systemic changes to accommodate consumer needs

Topics

Development | Sociocultural

Unexpected differences

Role of technology versus policy in e-waste management

Speakers

– Participant
– Multiple other speakers

Arguments

We can’t manage what we can’t measure – the lack of visibility in e-waste tracking is a fundamental problem

Egypt has legislation from 2020 treating e-waste as hazardous waste with specific collection, recycling and disposal guidelines through authorized facilities

Explanation

Unexpectedly, there was a fundamental disagreement about whether existing policies are sufficient or whether the core problem is lack of technological infrastructure for measurement and tracking. This disagreement was surprising given the technical nature of the forum

Topics

Infrastructure | Legal and regulatory | Development

Overall assessment

Summary

The discussion showed relatively low levels of direct disagreement, with most conflicts being about emphasis and approach rather than fundamental opposition. Main disagreements centered on whether to prioritize regulatory frameworks versus technological infrastructure, and whether to focus on awareness-building versus incentive-based behavioral change

Disagreement level

Low to moderate disagreement level. The disagreements were more about strategic priorities and implementation approaches rather than fundamental goals, which suggests good potential for finding common ground and integrated solutions that combine regulatory, technological, and behavioral approaches

Partial agreements

Similar viewpoints

Both speakers highlight the massive scale of the e-waste problem, with Hossam providing regional data from Egypt and Participant providing global statistics, both emphasizing the growing nature of the challenge and poor management rates

Speakers

– Hossam El Gamal
– Participant

Arguments

Egypt produces 370,000 tons of e-waste annually with projected increases due to rapid technological adoption and shorter product lifecycles

The global e-waste system is mostly blind with over 62 million metric tons generated globally but less than 20% formally collected and recycled

Topics

Development

Both speakers emphasize the importance of engaging younger generations and local communities in developing innovative solutions, recognizing that grassroots involvement is essential for effective implementation

Speakers

– Emmanuel Niyikora
– Jasmine Ko

Arguments

Youth innovation and involvement are critical for developing solutions to e-waste challenges

Local empowerment opportunities and community-based solutions are needed to address the global problem at local levels

Topics

Development | Sociocultural

Both speakers advocate for proactive, systematic approaches to e-waste management that go beyond reactive policy measures to include fundamental infrastructure and design changes

Speakers

– Participant
– Thelma Quaye

Arguments

Digital infrastructure investment is needed beyond just policies to make e-waste traceable and accountable

Sustainability must be designed into products from the beginning rather than treated as an afterthought

Topics

Infrastructure | Development

Key takeaways

E-waste represents both a significant challenge and economic opportunity, particularly for developing countries, with potential for profitable and bankable projects

Current global e-waste management is inadequate – over 62 million tons generated annually but less than 20% formally collected and recycled

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks are essential, requiring manufacturers to take responsibility from design through disposal

Data-driven technologies (AI, IoT, digital product passports) are crucial for making e-waste traceable and manageable – ‘we can’t manage what we can’t measure’

Multi-stakeholder collaboration involving government, private sector, civil society, and youth is necessary for effective solutions

Sustainability must be ‘by design’ rather than an afterthought in product development

E-waste management addresses multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 3, 6, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and indirectly 4, 9, 17)

Local implementation of global standards is critical, requiring adaptation to community-specific behaviors, languages, and infrastructure

Consumer awareness and behavior change are fundamental to successful e-waste management

Youth innovation and involvement are essential for developing new solutions to e-waste challenges

Resolutions and action items

Countries should search for and replicate existing success stories of bankable e-waste management projects

Governments and industry should invest in digital infrastructure beyond just policies to make e-waste traceable

Global standards for digital product passports need to be established for compliance and innovation at scale

ITU will continue international knowledge exchange programs between countries like Nigeria, South Africa, Colombia, and India

Open source implementations of digital passports for electronics should be developed and made available

Individuals should assess their device usage and choose more eco-friendly designed products

Key summaries and takeaways will be posted on the IGF website for reference

Unresolved issues

How to effectively address the challenge of cryptographically obsolete IoT devices that cannot be updated due to firmware and hardware limitations

How to bridge the gap between global standards and local implementation challenges across different regions

How to effectively incentivize consumer participation in proper e-waste disposal and recycling programs

How to formalize the large informal e-waste sector that currently dominates in many developing countries

How to ensure data privacy and governance while implementing digital tracking solutions for e-waste

How to create flexible collection systems that accommodate different work schedules and lifestyles

How to ensure equitable access to e-waste management solutions across different economic levels

Suggested compromises

Balancing producer responsibility with consumer costs – acknowledging that EPR responsibilities may ultimately be passed to consumers through pricing

Combining formal and informal sector approaches – leveraging existing informal waste collectors while improving their methods and safety

Implementing flexible collection systems – using both fixed locations and mobile stations to accommodate different schedules and locations

Adopting phased implementation of global standards – allowing for local adaptation while maintaining overall consistency

Sharing responsibility across stakeholders – involving government, private sector, civil society, and individuals rather than placing burden on any single actor

We can’t manage what we can’t measure. And right now, the global e-waste system is mostly blind. When we are talking, for example, about the global e-waste monitor, the world generates over 62 million metric tons of e-waste. Less than 20% is formally collected and recycled.

Speaker

Participant (Ossam)

Reason

This comment crystallized a fundamental challenge in e-waste management by highlighting the paradox between the scale of the problem and our inability to track it effectively. It reframed the discussion from policy-focused solutions to data-driven accountability, introducing a systems thinking approach.

Impact

This observation shifted the conversation toward the critical role of technology and measurement systems in policy implementation. It provided a foundation for discussing AI, IoT, and digital product passports as essential tools rather than optional enhancements, elevating the technical discussion beyond traditional regulatory approaches.

E-waste is a challenge, a risk, but is really an opportunity. E-waste management is a real opportunity… it can be bankable. E-waste can be considered as bankable projects.

Speaker

Hossam El Gamal

Reason

This reframing challenged the typical deficit-focused narrative around e-waste by positioning it as an economic opportunity rather than just an environmental burden. The concept of ‘bankable projects’ introduced a business viability perspective that could attract private sector investment.

Impact

This comment established a more optimistic and solution-oriented tone for the discussion. It influenced subsequent speakers to consider economic incentives and business models, moving beyond regulatory compliance to entrepreneurial opportunities. This perspective helped bridge the gap between environmental concerns and economic development.

We are also working with civil society organizations to develop open source implementations of digital passports for electronics… because without open source implementations, we cannot really ensure that all this… the small, medium size and tiny organizations are innovating.

Speaker

Leandro Navarro (Audience)

Reason

This comment introduced the critical concept of democratizing access to e-waste management tools through open-source solutions. It highlighted how technical barriers could exclude smaller organizations from participating in circular economy initiatives, addressing equity in sustainability efforts.

Impact

This intervention deepened the technical discussion by connecting global standards to grassroots implementation. It prompted Jasmine to reflect on localization challenges and sparked consideration of how global solutions need to be adapted for different community contexts and capabilities.

The problem is Hong Kong people are always over time working. And then the opening hour of this office are actually kind of crushed to business hours, so we cannot recycle in a weekday… So something that being smartly defunct, it’s we at the Hong Kong government trying to have some flexible hour on some mobile station.

Speaker

Jasmine Ko

Reason

This comment provided a concrete example of how consumer behavior and lifestyle patterns can undermine well-intentioned e-waste policies. It demonstrated that effective policy implementation requires understanding and adapting to real-world user constraints.

Impact

This practical example grounded the theoretical discussion in real-world implementation challenges. It illustrated how policy design must consider human factors and led to recognition that successful e-waste management requires behavioral insights, not just regulatory frameworks.

We need to stop treating data as an afterthought. In fact, data is not for just transparency, but it’s the foundation of accountability as well for a true circular economy.

Speaker

Participant (Ossam)

Reason

This comment elevated data from a supporting role to a foundational element of circular economy systems. It challenged the traditional view of data as merely reporting tool and positioned it as essential infrastructure for accountability and system effectiveness.

Impact

This insight reinforced the earlier measurement theme and helped establish data governance as a core policy consideration rather than a technical detail. It influenced the final recommendations to emphasize digital infrastructure investment alongside traditional policy measures.

Overall assessment

These key comments fundamentally shaped the discussion by transforming it from a traditional policy-focused conversation into a more nuanced, multi-dimensional analysis of e-waste management. The progression moved from identifying challenges to reframing them as opportunities, then to examining practical implementation barriers and technological solutions. The comments collectively established three critical themes: the necessity of measurement and data systems for effective governance, the importance of economic viability for sustainable solutions, and the need for inclusive, locally-adapted approaches. This evolution created a more comprehensive understanding that effective e-waste management requires integration of policy, technology, economics, and human behavior rather than relying on any single approach.

When we discard our phones and laptops, where do they go?

Speaker

Emmanuel Niyikora

Explanation

This highlights a critical knowledge gap about e-waste disposal pathways that most consumers are unaware of, which is fundamental to understanding the scope of the e-waste problem

What systems do we actually have to make these policies work?

Speaker

Participant (Hossam El Muraie)

Explanation

This addresses the implementation gap between policy creation and practical enforcement mechanisms for e-waste management

How should government and regulators prepare for the imminent wave for cryptographical obsolete devices, especially to ensure secure and off-life handling and enforcement on the EPR formats?

Speaker

Nicholas (online participant)

Explanation

This addresses the emerging challenge of post-quantum cryptography making existing IoT devices obsolete and the resulting e-waste management implications

How do we make sure that we are able to adopt and really create, design something that fits into the community with different user behavior, density, and language?

Speaker

Jasmine Ko

Explanation

This focuses on the localization challenge of adapting global e-waste standards and solutions to specific community contexts and cultural differences

How would people be incentivized to really participate in proper e-waste disposal and create less waste in their device lifecycle?

Speaker

Jasmine Ko

Explanation

This addresses the behavioral economics aspect of e-waste management and the need to understand consumer motivation for sustainable practices

Need for research on bankable e-waste projects and replication of success stories in developing countries

Speaker

Hossam El Gamal

Explanation

This identifies the need to study and document financially viable e-waste management models that can be scaled across developing nations

Need for global standards for digital product passports to enable compliance and innovation at global scale

Speaker

Participant (Hossam El Muraie)

Explanation

This highlights the need for standardized digital documentation systems to track electronic products throughout their lifecycle globally

Research needed on youth innovations in e-waste management space

Speaker

Emmanuel Niyikora

Explanation

This emphasizes the need to identify, study, and support innovative solutions being developed by young entrepreneurs and innovators in the e-waste sector