Least-developed countries can aid sustainable digital transformation through e-waste management

At a time when the least developed countries (LDCs) are taking baby steps towards a digital journey, the recently released Digital Economy Report 2024 of UN Conference on Trade and Development laid bare the damage that digitalization could cause to the environment.

If unchecked, the environmental footprint of digital transformation could undermine the worldwide efforts to contain global temperature rise within 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by 2050.

This is partly due to the information and communications technology sector’s carbon footprint, estimated at between 0.69 and 1.6 gigaton of carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalent emissions in 2020, which accounts for 1.5% to 3.2% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Such a level of environmental impact, approaching emissions similar to those of the entire shipping industry, underscores the need for sustainability policies as digitalization expands.

Another significant impact is through electronic and electric waste which, if not properly handled, can cause harm to people and the planet due to, for instance, leakage of toxins. The LDCs, where only 35% of the population used the internet in 2023 compared with 67% globally, have made a minimal contribution to this state.

Nevertheless, some LDCs are increasingly important destinations of digitalization-related waste, mostly produced in developed countries, which generated on average 3.25 kgs of such waste per capita – over 15 times higher than that of the LDCs at 0.21 kg.

Given the growing volume of e‑waste, both imported and locally, there is a rising need for sound e-waste management as part of their sustainable transition to digital technologies.

It is encouraging to note that digital transformation in most LDCs is on a positive trajectory, which could be accelerated with the right mix of sound policies; investment in skills; and infrastructure and resource mobilization. However, containing the environmental damage should go beyond the simple principle of “polluter pays”, as there are doubts regarding its effective implementation.

LDCs can play a vital role in the specific area of management of digitalization-related waste, which has become a critical area requiring special attention for three reasons.

First, responsible management of e-waste is essential to several Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), Goal 14 (Life Underwater) and Goal 15 (Life on Land).

Second, formal collection rates of e-waste remain low. Globally, less than 25% of waste linked to digitalization was formally collected in 2022. In the LDCs, this rate was at merely 0.2%. Although the LDCs are not a major generator of e-waste, some of them have become a dumping ground for e-waste produced elsewhere, with LDCs such as Senegal and Tanzania being labelled as countries of concern at the receiving end.

Third, realizing the benefits of managing e-waste, including its potential to contribute to the low carbon transition, job creation and responsible consumption and production, several LDCs have taken initiatives to address this challenge. Some of these are discussed below.

In South Asia, Bangladesh – which generates more than 3 million metric tonnes of e-waste every year – introduced the E-waste Management Rule on 10 June 2021. The rule includes limitations on the use of certain heavy metals and substances, applicable to manufacturers and importers. Similarly, the Department of Environment of Bangladesh stipulates that within five years, the e-waste collection rates should reach 50% of the country’s e-waste.

Although the rule has not yet been fully implemented, several private sector entities have supported the adoption of circular economy models to deal with e-waste. For example, SWAP – a “re-commerce” platform that facilitates the buying and selling of both new and previously used digital devices – has been selling about 7,000-8,000 second-hand devices each month.

Similarly, household appliance manufacturers such as Singer and Walton offer discounts on new and refurbished appliances in exchange for old ones, so that they can reuse the useful parts of otherwise discarded old ones.

Additionally, a number of recycling companies in Bangladesh extract components such as fibre, metal and plastic from unusable mobile handsets and computers, which are then used in the production of similar products.

In East Africa, Rwanda, which has been a frontrunner in terms of e-waste management, started out with the formulation of the draft National E-waste Policy (2015) with the support from the Enhanced Integrated Framework, and eventually adopted it in 2016.

Subsequently, the Rwandan Government entered into a public-private partnership with Enviroserve Rwanda Green Park – a part of the Dubai-based Enviroserve Group – to facilitate the collection and disposal of e-waste. Based on the agreement, the Government provided capital investment through the Rwanda Green Fund to build a recycling facility.

Services provided by the waste management facility include refurbishing, repairing or reworking more than 600,000 items annually and providing an end-to-end e-waste recycling solution for electrical and electronic items. They also provide battery collection and recycling.

Moreover, the facility has created more than 300 green jobs, which has the potential to grow to 1,000 when the plant operates at full capacity. Most operations are managed locally; however, more complicated operations, such as the extraction of precious metals (silver, gold and platinum), are exported to Dubai. This highlights the potential for greater value capture from e-waste management through moving also into recycling of these high-value elements.

In order to address the challenges of limited public awareness of the risks, potential toxicity, requisite management and appropriate disposal, Rwanda’s government organized an awareness‑raising campaign to encourage the public to dispose of their old electronics and electrical equipment, aiming to increase e-waste collection rates and support sustainable handling.

In West Africa, Sénégal Numérique SA (SENUM SA), responsible for implementing the computerization policy and management of digital infrastructures in Senegal, has set a target of recycling 90% of the country's electronic and electrical waste by 2025. To this end, it has taken a few important steps.

First, by deploying the Center for Disabled People at Work to recycle e-waste by reconditioning computers and other equipment, thus helping SENUM SA to process 10 tonnes of electrical and electronic equipment waste each year.

Second, by signing a memorandum of understanding with the municipality of Sandiara to build a national e-waste processing centre and obtain equipment for the treatment and recovery of e‑waste from the Global Green Growth Institute, with financial support from Luxembourg.

Although the above-mentioned trail-blazing initiatives show promise, the LDCs still struggle in areas relating to awareness-raising, regulatory enforcement and logistics.

With additional resource mobilization to scale up or replicate these successful interventions, LDCs can advance their digital aspirations, while minimizing the damage to the environment. Moreover, a strengthened e‑waste management framework can contribute to fostering both economic growth and environmental resilience.