UAE POLICY FOR ELECTRONIC

WASTE MANAGEMENT
 Table of Contents

 Abstract:........................................................................................................................ 2

 Introduction:.................................................................................................................. 2

 Policy for e-waste usage:.............................................................................................3

 A brief overview of the statistics:.............................................................................3

 The raw material used for electronics manufacturing:...........................................5

 E-waste management approaches:..........................................................................7

1. Smart waste management system:..........................................................................7

2. Making smart policies at the producer end:............................................................8

3. Sustainable management of e-waste:......................................................................8

4. E-waste recycling:...................................................................................................10

 E-waste management and SDGs of UAE:..............................................................10

 Introduction of EPR laws in UAE:...........................................................................11

 E-waste management framework:..........................................................................12

1. Resource mobilization:........................................................................................13

2. Collection mechanisms:......................................................................................13

3. Financial mechanisms:........................................................................................13

4. Involvement of other stakeholders:....................................................................14

 Conclusion:................................................................................................................. 14

References.......................................................................................................................... 15

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  Abstract:

The natural world is under great pressure due to human activities. E-waster

generation is also one of the reasons for e-waster and it has an impact on it. UAE

during the past few decades has moved into automation and digitization and

produces various types of e-waste. The collection is recycling of this waster is a very

important issue right now in UAE and there needs to be a policy that helps to reduce

e-waste collection every year. We cannot just stop producing electronic equipment

because we are greatly dependent on these things. In this report, we will be

discussing various statistics showing the generation of e-waste in UAE. We would

also have a look at the huge industries that have a very crucial role in managing the

e-waste in various states of UAE. And we will also be showing a policy guideline for

UAE in this research that must be followed to cope with the problem of e-waste

generation.

 Introduction:

Electronic waste can be simply defined as waste generated from electronic devices.

Used electronic devices go through are the process of reconditioning, reuse and

recycling through their entire life cycle. After this they are disposed-off and they are

of no use, so we consider it as waste. different components of e-waste contain

various harmful materials like cadmium, lead and other oxides which are not only

harmful to human beings but also a cause of environmental pollution. UAE is

considered one of the major electronic consumers in the region and it has a high

impact on decreasing the level of the environment. According to a report, on average

UAE residents produces 17.2 kilograms of e-waste each year containing toxic

materials like cadmium, mercury, and arsenic [ CITATION San18 \l 1033 ] . The UAE

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Minister of Climate Change and Environment in 2017 stated that e-waste disposal is

one of the biggest challenges of present times.

 Policy for e-waste usage:

UAE needs to manage is control the production of electronic waste in various states

and they must implement a policy that includes steps for the treatment and recycling

of e-waste. The policy must contain different projects that will be helpful in the

recycling of waste and can be utilized to produce useful energy for future use. There

is also a need for the legislation laws that must be implemented in our ongoing and

future businesses. Let's have a brief view of understanding the production of -waste

in the country.

 A brief overview of the statistics:

UAE has a higher rate of per capita income and countries like that have a much

higher issue of generating e-waste. According to the Global e-waste generation

report, in 2016 the total e-waste generated in UAE was 134,000 tonnes and this

number has gone even higher in the next year [ CITATION Blo18 \l 1033 ]. Along with

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, UAE is one of the largest consumers of electronic products

in the region. It is one of the major producers of electronic products as well. A lot of

revenue is being generated by the UAE by their exports of electronic equipment.

Following is a brief statistics of Dubai Foreign Trade trend from 2012-2017:

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Figure 1: Source is taken from Dubai Foreign Trade Trend

UAE consumer electronic market is grown from 13 billion to 14 billion AED in the

year 2018 which shows an exponential increase in the electronic market. [ CITATION

Nau18 \l 1033 ]. On average, every adult in UAE owns a minimum of 4 devices with

them including laptops, smartphones, PCs, and tablets. The statistics have also

shown that UAE consumers are very keen on the use of electronic devices to

support lifestyle and to maintain their status with the modern world. UAE has the

highest social media penetration rate of around 80% in the year 2018-2019. The

trending of owning electronic devices in the young generation of UAE residents is

increasing day by day.

Figure 2: Source is taken from Statista.com

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The above data shows an expected rate of the usage of electronic devices i.e.

laptops, desktops and mobile phones in the UAE. We can see an increase in the

usage of these devices in the next 10 years. By greater usage of these devices

mean a higher rate of electronic waste generation.

 The raw material used for electronics manufacturing:

The electronic devices made consist of many tiny electrical components and each

one of them requires a particular raw material for its manufacturing. Metal

components are usually made up of copper, nickel, aluminum, lead, and silver.

These compounds are normally used for the manufacturing of electronic components

like resistors and capacitors which itself are used in various other electronic devices.

Some plastic-based materials like Polyvinylchloride (PVC) other polymers are also

used for the manufacturing of insulating materials used in many electronic devices.

Some metallic and non-metallic minerals like silicon, antimony, bismuth, cobalt, and

magnesium are also used as raw material for electronic devices manufacturing.

Figure 3: Distinctive contents of WEEE

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UAE has many factories producing these raw materials and also supplying it to the

major retailer of the electronic market. The majority of the raw material used in the

production of electronic devices is hazardous to human health and also to the

environment where these are being disposed-off. Following is a brief list of the major

suppliers of electronic components in UAE:

 UNIVERSE DISTRIBUTION FZC.

 WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION FZE.

 ELMARK THE BEAND OF ELECTRICITY.

 ZERO OHM GENERAL TRADING LLC.

 WATT ELECTRICALS LLC.

 ECHO ELECTRONICS LLC.

 OASIS ENTERPRISES LLC.

 SUBLIME STAR GENERAL TRADING LLC.

 AL SHABAB TECHNOLOGY AND ELECTRONICS LLC.

These are the major suppliers and manufacturing units that are producing large

electrical components in the Emirate states. These components ranging from

telecommunication networking components, semiconductor modules, cables, wire,

and assemblies, as well as electronic lighting systems. These companies also take

part in exporting these components to other parts of the world. The waste generated

from these centers is disposed of in the form of various streams. The harmful

manufacturing components can pollute the areas where these materials are

improperly disposed of.

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  E-waste management approaches:

Thousands of laptops, PCs, and smartphones are being discarded in the UAE. With

the advancements in the technological sectors, in the wake of upgrading the

systems, the people use to discard their previous equipment and replace them with

new upgraded systems. The UAE government has taken this issue very seriously

and they are in the implementation phase for the regulations and the legislation of e-

waste. One of the examples can be seen in which Abu Dhabi has developed a

strategic plan to divert 85% of e-waste from land-fills in 2018 [ CITATION Tea19 \l 1033 ] .

The following are some of the strategic management plans that can be implemented

in the UAE to manage e-waste production.

1. Smart waste management system:

The basic objective of this system is to cope up with the waste management system

with minimum use of resources and maximum utilization. These systems would be

much cleaner, greener and sustainable systems to manage e-waste in the country.

This system includes the installation of different smart bins in the cities containing

the latest sensor technologies. The bins can compress the trash for about 700 times

than the normal volume and also reduces the waste collection requirement for about

80%. These bins can be installed in areas where there is the production of e-waste

or where the e-waste is generally disposed-off. These wastes can also be applied in

public places to manage daily household solid waste. These smart bins when they

are filled will be notified to the concerned people so that they will be further safely

taken care of. These systems are successfully running in Nambucca Shire Council,

Australia and are recycling and managing their e-waste in a smarter way [ CITATION

Blo19 \l 1033 ]. Some countries like the USA, Seoul and South Korea are producing

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these kinds of technological and these systems can be imported from the countries

producing it.

2. Making smart policies at the producer end:

Some sustainable e-waste policies need to be generated and we can take help from

other countries that are currently implanting these policies. The problem of e-waste

generation and its management cannot be resolved without the help of the producing

units which plays a major role in it. One such example can be found in which the

Ministry of Environment of Norway in 1988 agreed with the producers and the

importers of electronics to establish a take-back management system in which

managing the e-waste would be the producer’s responsibility [ CITATION Ang13 \l 1033 ].

In this system, the producers and importers will have to finance the e-waste

collection and management process plus they also need to pay for the back-up

companies which will help to finance those companies which are playing a part in

controlling this entire system. Further reports showed that the e-waste collection and

recovery rate was increased by about 83% in just one the year of 2012-2013. These

systems will help to reduce and easily manage e-waste by the people producing it

without the involvement of other authorities which are dealing with other kinds of

waste.

3. Sustainable management of e-waste:

e-waste consists of both hazardous and non-hazardous that require separate

processes for their treatment and disposal. The sustainable management of these

systems consists of the following steps:

 Reuse:

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It includes increasing the life span of the equipment so that their life cycle would be

increased. This gives an optimal use of the resources which are used in term of the

products and the product can be used for a longer period for which it is made.

 Dismantling process:

This includes the separation of different components of the equipment. Various parts

that are of no use can be separated manually and sent back for recycling purposes.

The segregated parts can be supplied to various recycling companies and a

reasonable amount of revenue can be generated.

 Recovery process:

This process involves the recovery of the device and its components. This recovery

process is a part of a recycling process that requires some special facilities and

expertise. The device can be recovered or in this process, these can be dismantled

in a way that it can be used for a different process from which it was originally being

made.

 Refurbishment:

It includes the addition of different hardware and software to increase the life cycle of

the product and to increase its utilization. It might include some modification

processes to make the device usable.

 Final disposal:

This is the process in which the final disposal of materials that are of no further use

is done. It includes non-recoverable materials and other wastes having no future

use. The disposing is done either in a controlled landfill having no contact with any of

the lining species or through incineration processes.

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These are the step by step processes that can be applied for the sustainable

management of e-waste generated which reduces the total waste generated.

4. E-waste recycling:

Color codes provide a simpler way for the recycling of any kind of electrical

equipment. Color codes are different standards that are established by the United

Nations Environment Programme. It follows zero landfill policy and every component

of any equipment can be recycled or even can be used for the manufacturing of new

products. Color code is a Dubai based company having the license for recycling e-

waste. UAE government recently passed a bill for making the Emirates a zero-waste

generating country in the world. Thus, the company is a part of that plan it reduces

the landfill generation of e-waste for more than 60%. The company handles every

type of waste including IT waste, household electronics, and other electronic parts.

These kinds of initiatives can be further applied in other states of the UAE to reduce

e-waste production in the country.

 E-waste management and SDGs of UAE:

For the implementation of the social development goals, the UAE government made

different committees for the effective implementation of these goals. In 2010, the

government of UAE set a 6-point strategic agenda with a vision of making the

country one of the best in the world [ CITATION Oli17 \l 1033 ]. It consists of six main

priorities including education, health, economy, security, housing infrastructure, and

government services. In September 2015, the United Nations set a 2030 agenda for

sustainable development consisting of 17 goals and 169 targets with the main

objective to protect the environment. All of these goals are subjected to saving the

planet and e-waste particularly linked to the number of targets included in this.

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Figure 4: Source is taken from unemg.org

The above graph shows the collaboration of different UN members particularly in

tackling the e-waste issue. Around 154 different initiatives were taken between 2002-

2017 which shows a notable action being taken worldwide to tackle this issue.

Considering the collaboration of UAE in this regard, so the situation in the UAE is not

so different. The government has shown its keen interest in the e-waste

management systems and have introduced various systems for the recycling and

reusing of these products. The UAE green agenda is still in progress in which makes

the environment clean is being set as their top priority. Dubai and Abu Dhabi have

opened a Recycling Emirate initiative that provides services for disposing of the IT

equipment. These services provide green mechanisms for the recycling and

discarding processes that will have zero impact on the environment.

 Introduction of EPR laws in UAE:

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) promotes the producers of the products to

be designed under the regulatory laws provided by the government and also provide

the customers with a facility to recycle these products. These initiatives provide

funding for the management of the products being manufactured and help us to

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protect our landfills and water streams from polluting. These systems include

managing both the hazardous and non-hazardous waste which cannot be recycled

and their disposal is required.

The producers of the Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) in UAE are

encouraged to follow the EPR Authorization which acknowledges the responsibility

for the proper collection, recycling, and disposal of the e-waste generated during the

mechanism. EPR authorization plan Dubai makes compulsory for the companies that

are involved in disposing of the e-waste to get authorization from the government.

This system involves the estimation for the individual companies manufacturing EE

products and the total e-waste generated by the individual company. The importers,

manufacturers, and suppliers of the EE products can contact to various recycling and

management companies that are dealing with the proper management of e-products.

In UAE e-waste legislation is widely being recognized because of the reason that e-

waste management provides an opportunity for the employment of highly skilled

individuals. This can be used to increase employment in the private sector which is

also a goal for the UAE. The landfills in UAE are expected to reach its capacity in the

comping years and by these proper recycling and management systems, the

stresses on these landfills can be greatly decreased.

 E-waste management framework:

E-waste management is a complex system that demands various policies, laws, and

regulations to have effective use of this system. It includes all the mechanisms like

controlling the imports and exports, the major manufacturing units, reuse, and

utilization processes and taking help from other industrial sectors. An effective e-

waste management framework consists of the following 4 components:

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 1. Resource mobilization:

It is the process that involves getting resources from different mechanisms controlled

by various resource providers. It includes individual participation in terms of

resources, cost and time to provide the right use of the resources. UAE waste

management goals can be achieved if all the private companies take responsibility

for controlling the waste. In the system, each industry contributes their due share for

the cause and held answerable for producing any kind of waste in its manufacturing

process.

2. Collection mechanisms:

It includes introducing different waste collection systems that support easy recovery

and recycling of the products. Various components in EE needs to be delivered at a

specific location for their proper treatment. These include the collection of materials

from their source point so that they are readily collected without polluting the

environment. It does not only include collections from large industries but also

provides door to door facilities at homes to collect any household electronic devices

which are of no use. One of the particular initiatives was taken in Dubai in which

Uber collaborated in this cause and started a 3-day campaign for the collection of e-

waste from various locations.

3. Financial mechanisms:

E-waste management requires large finances to support highly sustainable systems

in the country. It is one of the most important issues and the one which is directly

related to the economy of any country. The finances include providing different

resources for the establishment of large facilities that provides all the advance

technologies required for their safe treatment systems. In 2017, a company named

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Enviroserve agreed with the government of the UAE to open one of the largest e-

waste recycling plant in Dubai.

4. Involvement of other stakeholders:

e-waste management is a step by step process and each step include the

involvement of different retailers and suppliers in the complete process of

transferring products from manufacturing units to the end customers. It also involves

different government policies to make in contact with all of these suppliers and

building a chain for making a sustainable e-waste management system.

 Conclusion:

UAE is in dire need of various e-waste management systems. The future roadmap of

their strategic plans towards making their country a role model in the region requires

that the problem of e-waste generation should be tackled at first hand. The UAE

government has taken steps towards controlling this issue but these are just in their

initial phases and real action is still to be made. Successful implementation of these

systems requires giving importance from the government side by introducing

different legislative laws for the prevention of e-waste pollution. It is a problem that

has put our lives in danger and contains raw materials that are hazardous to human

health. Moreover, the environment is also affected by this which signifies the

importance of e-waste management in the country.

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References

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Drive in Dubai. From The Sustainabilist: http://thesustainabilist.ae/an-

overview-of-the-e-waste-problem-and-a-recycling-drive-in-dubai/

Cherrayil, N. K. (2018, April 02). UAE consumer electronics market to grow 7.7% to

Dh14b. From Gulfnews.com: https://gulfnews.com/technology/uae-consumer-

electronics-market-to-grow-77-to-dh14b-1.2198433

D'Mello, S. (2018, June 15). Recycling best option to manage e-waste. From

Khaleejtimes.com: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/technology/recycling-best-

option-to-manage-e-waste

Gurría, A. (2013, May 13). Smart industrial policies for development. From oecd.org:

https://www.oecd.org/development/smartindustrialpoliciesfordevelopment.htm

Varacity, T. (2019, May 29). E-Waste Disposal: What UAE Can Adapt From Other

Smart Cities? From Varacityworld.com: https://www.veracityworld.com/e-

waste-disposal-smart-city-approach/

Veracity, T. (2019, March 05). E-waste in UAE: Current Scenario, Issues, and

Strategies. From Veracityworld.com: https://www.veracityworld.com/e-waste-

management-dubai-uae/

Wyman, O. (2017, May 15). ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

IN THE UAE. From fcsa.gov.ae: https://fcsa.gov.ae/en-

us/Documents/Achieving%20SDGs%20in%20the%20UAE%20Private

%20Sector%20Contribution.pdf

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