What we achieve

 Promoting the transition to a circular and resource efficient economy!

E-waste (electronic waste) exposes a high environmental risk for MED, as informal recycling and e-waste abandoned in dumping sites provide hazardous substances a way to seed into groundwater, affecting water sources, aquifers and sea water.

Based on this, the eWAsTER project will approve 8 new Action Plans for e-waste management covering the main recommendations of the “Circular Electronics Initiative” from the EU Circular Economy AP.

eWAsTER will propose common management criteria, joint planning, and coordinated business promotion, since e-waste management should be viewed not as a problem, but as an excellent opportunity to generate sustainable socioeconomic development, based on a smart use of waste as a new secondary raw material resource.

To achieve it, in the first step of the project, the consortium delivers the Transnational Methodology for MED prevention and management of e-waste, designed by the partners expert in the field. The Methodology will be used to create customized Actions Plans and Strategies per area, in a local or regional Action Plan (LAP). LAPs will include measures based on these innovative solutions gathered around Europe, some of which will be tested in the pilot actions.

Testing innovative solutions

There are 3 pre-identified innovative solutions which will be tested:

  • OWEEE PROCURE: This solution promotes new eco-innovative business models based on the eco-renting of EEE, in cooperation between the demand side and the offer side, which allows the creation of a new eco-business
  • WEEE BEHAVE: This solution seeks to increase the amount of e-waste collected and delivered to new businesses, assuring a constant source of material, and a long-term sustainability
  • WEEE RE-USE: This solution promotes the creation of new business models for reuse of plastic and providing second life to e-waste, with a focus on creating jobs for vulnerable individuals

EXPECTED PROJECT RESULTS

  • Partners and involved stakeholder organisations will increase their institutional capacity for e-waste management, eco-business promotion, and circular economy business promotion.
  • Joint strategies and action plans taken up by organisations: it is expected that the LAPs will be endorsed and signed by the corresponding public authority with capacity to implement it, together with the partners, technical partners and associated partners which will contribute to the implementation of the Action Plan.
  • Solutions taken up or up-scaled by organisations: It is expected that partners having tested one of the solutions will adopt this solution or include the details for the uptaken process in the LAPs to be endorsed.