Page 7 - Implementation of ITU-T international standards for sustainable management of waste electrical and electronic equipment: The path to a circular economy in Costa Rica

I am very pleased to highlight my support for
this Case Study and I would like to applaud
Costa Rica for the proactive steps it is taking
to improve e-waste management in line with
the principles of the circular economy.
Digital transformation, and our growing
appetite for electrical and electronic
products have bred a global challenge
in e-waste. E-waste often crosses borders
to developing countries ill-equipped to
manage e-waste sustainably. If not treated
properly, e-waste can pose serious threats to our health and the environment. But in the e-waste
challenge, there also lies a wealth of opportunities to recover valuable raw materials and create
new jobs in recycling.

ITU is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies
(ICTs). Our global membership includes 193 Member States and more than 900 companies,
universities, and international and regional organizations.

Our commitment to addressing the e-waste challenge is enshrined in ITU’s “Connect 2030
Agenda for Global Telecommunication/ICT Development”, which focuses on how ICT advances
will contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

This Case Study shares Costa Rica’s experience following the approach recommended by ITU
standard L.1031 to achieve the e-waste targets of the Connect 2030 Agenda targets, which call
for a 30 per cent increase in the global e-waste recycling rate and the percentage of countries
with e-waste legislation to grow to 50 per cent. It also explores Costa Rica’s actions in line with
ITU standard L.1032, which provides guidelines and certification schemes for e-waste recyclers.

I would like to express my gratitude to Costa Rica for working closely with ITU to share your
experience and related lessons learned on the international stage. This Case Study is certain to
provide a valuable point of reference to other countries in the region and around the world on
how ITU standards can be used to adopt a circular approach to e-waste management.

ITU standardization work for environment, climate change and circular economy is led by ITU-T
Study Group 5. In the work of ITU-T Study Group 5, we see governments, industry players, and
academia placing increasing emphasis on integrating the principles of the circular economy
into the ICT industry as a key element of the industry’s evolution.

I encourage you to contribute to this important work. Improving material efficiency, limiting
e-waste, and disposing of e-waste sustainably will make an essential contribution to the reduction
of ICTs’ environmental impacts over the long term.

Dr Chaesub Lee
Director of the Telecommunication Standardization Bureau of the ITU
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

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