Recommendations for developing and managing an integrated electronic waste policy & infrastructure in the Republic of Mauritius

Abstract

Electronic waste (e-waste) is a rapidly growing problem as well as a business opportunity given the huge volume that is generated. While there are a number policies and philosophies that guide end-of-life handling of electronic waste, currently there is no holistic framework or model that can be applied as a policy development and management tool. Mauritius is a small island located off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean with a population of 1.2 million people and an area of about 787 sq. miles. According to a recent survey it is estimated that each Mauritian generates about 0.9 kilogram of waste par day, which represents about 375,000 tons of waste annually. The Government of Mauritius recently declared one of its medium term goals for the country is to make Mauritius a sustainable island. It is observed that by developing the capability to handle electronic waste, the general capability of a waste management system is significantly increased. This work, funded by grants from the MIT Public Service Center, aims to address the problem of electronic waste in general and in the context of Mauritius in particular by: - Developing a cradle-to-grave model of material and financial flows of electronic products based on extensive literature review. This model is used to conduct an in-depth analysis of the policy, practices and material and financial flows in various countries. - Providing analytical tools to visualize activities and formulate effective policy and actions to address this problem. - Conducting a household level e-waste survey to characterize its nature and content in Mauritius.

(cont.) - Recommending changes to existing infrastructure in Mauritius to enable them to be upgraded to Material Recovery Facilities to help in recovery activities on the island.