Page 20 - Implementation of ITU-T international standards for sustainable management of waste electrical and electronic equipment: The path to a circular economy in Costa Rica

Executive Summary

In 2019, within the framework of the Project on Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment
for Latin America (PREAL), Costa Rica, in partnership with the International Telecommunication
Union (ITU), started a pilot for the implementation of Recommendations ITU-T L.1031 “Guideline
on implementing the e-waste reduction target of the Connect 2030 Agenda” and ITU-T L.1032
“Guidelines and certification schemes for e-waste recyclers”.

One of the objectives of the project was to gather baseline data to establish strategies for the
inclusion of EEE and WEEE sectors into the country’s circular economy model. Another objective
was to assess the relevance of Recommendation ITU-T L.1032 and the need to adjust it to the
country’s nature.

The project enabled the generation of significant baseline information to strengthen the
national WEEE management system. The information gathered will allow the country to establish
public policies and strategies to progress in the WEEE sustainable management sector and
facilitate the adoption of the circular economy model. It will also enable establishing strategies
to strengthen capacities and raise awareness of the actors involved in the WEEE value chain,
especially recovery centres and informal recyclers.

This Case Study documents the process developed to implement both Recommendations, as
well as the main results obtained, opportunities for improvement and recommendations for
the country.

Section 1 contains a summary of the objectives and scope of Recommendations ITU-T L.1031
and ITU-T L.1032, as well as the scope of the work carried out in Costa Rica. Section 2 presents
demographic and economic characteristics of Costa Rica, as well as the regulatory framework
underpinning WEEE sustainable management in the country. The current situation of WEEE
management is also explained, as are the opportunities identified to implement both ITU-T
Recommendations.

Section 3 provides a comprehensive explanation of the implementation of Recommendation
ITU-T L.1031. It analyses the information used and the scope of the inventory developed, which
explain the process followed for the selection of the project’s eleven tracers: refrigerators,
washing machines, flat-panel TVs, CRT TVs, cell phones, laptops, PCs, flat-panel monitors, CRT
monitors, small IT equipment, and printers. It also explains the methodology used for WEEE
estimation, as well as an analysis of the actors and stakeholders involved in WEEE management in
Costa Rica, together with their roles and responsibilities. It addresses the information gathering
process through surveys of importers and managers, and the assessment of material flows.

Section 4 presents the results of the implementation of Recommendation ITU-T L.1032.
A comparison is made between Costa Rican legislation and the Recommendation’s safety and
environmental criteria, as well as the results obtained through the surveys and a focus group
with WEEE managers.

Section 5 describes the challenges faced by Costa Rica to strengthen the national WEEE
management system, and opportunities for improvement identified. Lessons learned are
included, which point out recommendations for countries that are launching a national WEEE
sustainable management system or that need to apply ITU-T Recommendations implemented
in Costa Rica.

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