According to UN data, in the year 2021, each person produces an average of 7.6 kg of electrical and electronic waste (WEEE), which means that 57.4 million tons will be generated worldwide. Only 17.4% of this e-waste containing a mixture of harmful substances and precious materials will be recorded as properly collected, treated and recycled, the rest unfortunately end up being mismanaged by disposal mixed with household waste or dumped in prohibited places . The stated problem also results in the loss of resources, which could be reintroduced into a new economic circuit. As an example, according to WEEE Forum data, by recycling every million recycled mobile phones, 16,000 kg of copper, 350 kg of silver, 24 kg of gold and 14 kg of palladium could be recovered.
It should be noted that the COVID pandemic has made even more of an impact on the challenges of WEEE pollution, due to the increase in the consumption of electronic products. According to a recent study, in the European Union the demand for personal computers and tablets increased by 4.6% year-on-year until December 2020. In this context, it is even more important to make users aware of the options that exist for their equipment at the end of life.
And yet, no matter how many initiatives are implemented to properly address this problem, nothing would be enough without one RESPONSIBLE CONSUMER. Not in vain, the 4th edition of International WEEE Day, which is traditionally celebrated on October 14 by WEEE Forum, puts priority emphasis on the role of each of us in ensuring the circularity of electronic products.
AO EcoDigital, implementer of the project "We recycle WEEE and achieve the SDGs", joins the International WEEE Day this year and respectively more than 150 other organizations in 70 countries, through the launch The national campaign "Moldova recycles WEEE". The campaign will run during October 14 – December 14 and aims to actively involve the population, institutions in the country, in:
- Collection and delivery of accumulated WEEE to authorized operators (Moldrec or EcoREcycling), project partners.
- Dissemination of relevant information and data to stimulate a participatory spirit and rational consumption among the population of the Republic of Moldova.
Along with the institutions benefiting from the project, any of the public, private or educational institutions available to comply with the provisions of the campaign Regulation and completing this can join the campaign Campaign registration form.
Details and current information regarding the campaign will be available on the Facebook page Ecodigital and on the group page Say NO . At the end of the campaign, the most active will be selected AMBASSADORS of e-Recycling, which will be awarded by the project implementers and partners.
The project "We recycle WEEE and achieve the SDGs" is implemented by AO EcoDigital with financial support from the funds "GEF Small Grants Program, implemented by UNDP Moldova" in partnership with AO Association for Waste Recovery (AVD), the College of Ecology, MoldRec and EcoRecycling. Through the project "We recycle WEEE and achieve the SDGs" launched in March 2021 succeeded in expanding the network of small and large collection points both in the municipality of Chisinau and in each district. Total 190 points of collection are available on Collection point map updated.
