1 September 2015: A study by an EU-funded project finds that only 35% of the EU’s used equipment and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE or e-waste) discarded in 2012 was managed correctly. The report, by the Countering WEEE Illicit Trade (CWIT) project, finds that 6.2 million tonnes of e-waste generated in 2012 was either exported, recycled under non-compliant conditions in Europe, scavenged for valuable parts, or simply thrown in waste bins. Only 35% – 3.3 million of the 9.5 million tonnes – ended up in the officially reported amounts of collection and recycling systems.

The CWIT report offers several recommendations to address illegal e-waste trade, including: harmonized guidelines for distinguishing waste from non-waste; dedicated mandatory reporting of treatment and de-pollution results to the European Commission; creation of an operational Intelligence Management System (OIMS) to support intelligence-led enforcement and identify the risks associated with organized crime groups; creation of National Environmental Security Task Forces (NEST), formed by different authorities and partners, to enable a law enforcement response that is collaborative and coordinated at national, regional, and international levels; dedicated training of judges and prosecutors; and an EU-wide ban on cash transactions in the scrap metal trade.

The CWIT project is a two-year investigation coordinated by the UN University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) with participation by INTERPOL, the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), the WEEE Forum, and several other partners. [UNU Press Release] [Partners’ Press Release] [Countering WEEE Illegal Trade: Summary Report]