24 May 2013: The UN University (UNU) has announced that, along with the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it is partnering with the Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority and Ministry of Communication and Information Technology to implement an Ethiopian “E-waste Management Project.”

The project aims to promote waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE, or e-waste) prevention, and mobilize institutional and political support for e-waste management, including the formation of an environmentally sound service industry to help extend the lifetime of information and communications technology (ICT) equipment.

Ethiopia’s stored e-waste is approximately 4,300 tonnes of non-functioning computers, mobile phones, refrigerators and televisions, which is generally located in urban areas and considered relatively small, according to an April 2013 paper by UNU’s Solving the E-waste Problem (StEP) Initiative. However, the paper predicts, as the affordability and availability of electrical and electronic equipment increases, the willingness of Ethiopians to store non-functioning equipment in their homes or offices will decrease, creating e-waste recycling and disposal challenges.

To address this concern, the project will build Ethiopia’s administrative, legal and technical capacity to handle electronic waste in an environmentally and socially sound manner. It will also: support the development and adoption of environmentally sound business models, policies and technologies; and upgrade Ethiopia’s Computer Refurbishment and Training Center and Electronics De-manufacturing facility. Over the long-term, the project hopes to create employment opportunities, including in micro- to medium-sized enterprises, and to establish linkages with neighboring African countries to share best practices.

Following the project launch in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a “National Open E-waste Stakeholder Forum” was held on 19 April 2013 with government agencies, international organizations, the private sector and NGOs to discuss project objectives and cooperation among interested sectors and individuals. The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) is providing co-financing for the two-year project. [UNU Press Release] [Publication: Solving the E-Waste Problem (StEP) Green Paper: E-waste Country Study Ethiopia]