Making the most of the resources in electronics

Training recyclers on how to manage batteries and e-waste plastics

Many recyclers in low- and middle-income countries have already found ways to extract and repurpose valuable components coming from e-waste. However, in the absence of know-how, necessary infrastructure, as well as EPR legislation that would help finance it, material with low or no economic value is not managed properly.

Fractions such as batteries and e-waste plastics are deemed problematic. At best, they are stockpiled by recyclers until a final treatment solution is found. In the worst-case scenario they are landfilled, dumped or burnt by the informal sector in open fires, posing high environmental and health risks.

In November, within the project “Finding solutions for problematic e-waste fractions”, Landbell Group delivered four online training sessions for recyclers willing to learn how to manage batteries and e-waste plastics properly.

The trainings addressed the following issues: battery/plastic types, chemistries and identification tips, EHS, collection, sorting and storage, exports, recycling, reuse, repurposing and disposal technologies.

The events on batteries were held in English and French, and the audience learned about a pilot project being developed in Africa to locally repurpose Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries.

The trainings on e-waste plastics were delivered in English and Portuguese due to an ongoing pilot project in Brazil. Thanks to a local partner, this project is trying to link e-waste recyclers with a plastics compounder that could supply recycled polymers to an EEE producer.

The project “Finding solutions for problematic e-waste fractions” is implemented by Landbell Group in cooperation with the PREVENT Waste Alliance E-Waste Working Group.

It was launched in June 2020 and ended in November 2021.