At least 90% of the printed circuit boards and 80% of the plastic recovered from electronic waste (e-waste) in South Africa are exported for reprocessing. In doing so, the country loses access to valuable metals, as well as the opportunity to create jobs. This is according to a recent study conducted by Mintek, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

The research is one of the deliverables of South Africa’s 10-year Waste Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) Roadmap – a DST programme hosted by the CSIR. 

“The aim of the study was to assess the technology currently used in the dismantling, pre-processing and processing of e-waste in South Africa,” explains Prof. Linda Godfrey, who is the manager of the Waste RDI Roadmap Implementation Unit at the CSIR.

“By knowing what technology is currently in use and where the gaps are, we are able to identify new areas for research and innovation, both technological and social innovation,” she says. 

“However, this study was always going to be about more than just identifying research needs,” explains Godfrey. “To identify new opportunities for research and innovation, the project team needed to generate a picture of the e-waste recycling landscape in South Africa, the various role players and the flows of e-waste within and beyond the borders of the country,” explains Dr Makhapa Makhafola, General Manager: Research and Development at Mintek.

Determining the material flows for the various e-waste fractions, such as metal, glass, plastic and so forth, was important in identifying the opportunities for South Africa’s e-waste recycling economy. “The question we face is; how do we retain our secondary resources, such as e-waste, for as long as possible in our local value chain before they move into the global economy?” says Godfrey.

However, a startling finding of the study is that the growth of South Africa’s e-waste recycling sector is currently not determined by technology or skills. The biggest constraint to growing South Africa’s e-waste recycling economy is access to the waste. The last official statistics for South Africa (2011) showed that only 11% of the e-waste generated in the country was recycled. 

“This doesn’t mean that 89% of our end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment ends up in landfills, although there certainly is leakage,” Godfrey explains.  Instead, much of our e-waste is locked up in offices, homes, storerooms and so forth.  By increasing the collection, sorting and recycling of waste in South Africa, we create more opportunities to recover valuable resources that can feed into downstream manufacturing, and as a result, more opportunities for jobs and enterprise development.

The research showed that currently, the sector generates around 25 jobs per 1 000 tonnes of handled e-waste. 

“If we can unlock this uncollected e-waste into the local value chain, we can create opportunities to grow South Africa’s e-waste recycling economy, as well as opportunities to increase investment in appropriate technologies and in innovative new technologies,” says Godfrey.

“But, it is not only about recycling,” says Dr Henry Roman, Director for Environmental Services and Technologies at the DST. As this research showed, e-waste dismantling is currently not profitable as a standalone activity for small businesses. Up to 60% of the revenue of small e-waste recycling businesses is generated through refurbishment, with more than half of small businesses considering recycling a secondary activity. 

“This is encouraging since refurbishment and reuse allows us to keep limited resources in circulation for longer, in line with the principles of a circular economy. We also know that refurbishment and reuse typically create more jobs than recycling, and certainly more jobs than disposal,” Dr Roman explains.

In addition to mapping the status quo, the study also provides key findings from the technology assessment, as well as recommendations to address these challenges.

The full report is available from the Waste RD&I Roadmap Website: www.wasteroadmap.co.za

ENDS

For more information, please contact Tendani Tsedu, CSIR Group Manager: Strategic Communications, on 012 841 3417/082 945 1980 or email: mtsedu@csir.co.za

About the CSIR:

The CSIR is one of the leading scientific and technology research, development and implementation organisations in Africa. Constituted by an Act of Parliament in 1945 as a science council, the CSIR undertakes directed and multidisciplinary research, technological innovation, as well as industrial and scientific development to improve the quality of life of all South Africans. For more information, please visit www.csir.co.za.