Agreement signed on e-waste recycling

AMMAN — The Ministry of Environment and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have signed an agreement to address the issue of e-waste. 

E-waste includes electronics such as computers, batteries, cell phones and refrigerators.

E-waste contains a number of poisonous substances that endanger humans and the environment. When e-waste is disposed, its toxic chemicals and hazardous materials leak into the water, soil and air. The hazardous chemicals then infiltrate into digestion and respiratory systems, which can cause cancer and other diseases, according to a report from the Environment Ministry.

The first step of the project, outlined in the recent agreement, is to collect old light bulbs, cell phones, computer parts and batteries. The second step is to sort and process the electronics so they can be processed, reused, or resold. This process will help decrease the amount of toxic chemicals in landfills and reduce e-waste’s environmental pollution, according to the report.

The report also stated that how the plastic, metal, glass, mercury and batteries from electronics can be processed, recovered and turned into new products. The rest of the waste can, and must, be disposed of in an environmentally-friendly manner.

According to Mahmoud Al Zboun, Solid Waste Engineer at the Ministry of Environment, the project started in early June of this year. 

The ministry instructed private sector representatives on how to properly dispose of e-waste, either by sending them to Swaqa landfills where the waste is sorted and re-sold or by connecting them with a recycling company in the Kingdom, he said.

To date, the ministry has issued licences for five private sector companies in Jordan to collect and process both household and commercial  e-waste, Zboun added.