E[co]work develops safe co-working spaces in the e-waste sector

Indian start-up presented its innovation at the ISC3 Sustainable Chemistry SPOTLIGHTS event – next online event of the series on 11 May

Growing amounts of electronic waste (e-waste) and the unsafe manner of recycling by informal workers in this sector pose substantial challenges around the world. Especially in India, given the large volume generated as well as the existing and upcoming regulation around e-waste necessitates new ways of addressing the topic to enable a safe and sustainable future, both for labourers involved as well as consumers and producers. The Start-up E[co]work provides an attractive alternative for informal workers in the e-waste dismantling sector of Delhi. An innovative shared space for dismantling e-waste safely and in conformity to regulations is expected to open its doors in the coming months. It allows for efficient recycling of end-of-life electric devices while providing multiple useful services such as marketplace connecting buyers and sellers as well as business support services such as insurance.

For this valuable contribution to Sustainable Chemistry the founders of E[co]work are supported by the International Sustainable Chemistry Collaborative Centre (ISC3) and now have been awarded with an invitation to the ISC3 Investor Forum in the frame of the upcoming 5th Global Chemical Conference 2023 (Sept. 25-29, Bonn, Germany). As one of three Start-ups the founders presented their idea during the first ISC3 Sustainable Chemistry SPOTLIGHTS in the session “Promoting innovation in Sustainable Chemistry across Start-ups and SMEs in the Ghanaian e-waste Sector”. The objective of this roundtable discussion moderated by Samuel Opoku (Founding Partner Start.Up Lounge Africa), was to highlight actions being taken to promote and implement Sustainable Chemistry and solutions for e-waste across different stakeholders, including policymakers, entrepreneurs, and academia. The event sought to foster a common understanding of Sustainable Chemistry and e-waste and showcase local and international innovations that support the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Moreover, with the concept of safe co-working spaces and shared economic model for informal workers in the e-waste sector, E[co]work is a very good example of how the UNEP's ten Objectives and Guiding Consideration for Green and Sustainable Chemistry can be brought to life through innovative solutions. It also shows how the concept of Sustainable Chemistry and its practical implementation can be made easier to understand. For this reason, E[co]work was also awarded as one of the three best solutions in the frame of the Sustainable Chemistry Club session during the first ISC3 Spotlight (find session recap here).

In their journey to understand peoples’ conditions related to e-waste recycling in India (see E[co]work’s background story below), E[co]work realized that a different approach for effective interaction was needed. “Not only through the necessary trainings, but also by finding a way how to support them with better technology and equipment, and crucially the legal space they could operate from”, Ms. Dea Wehrli stated in the roundtable discussion of the first Sustainable Chemistry SPOTLIGHTS on the topic of "Innovation and Sustainable Chemistry".

Sustainable Chemistry SPOTLIGHTS: “Renewable Energy & Sustainable Chemistry” on Thursday, 11 May

With the Sustainable Chemistry SPOTLIGHTS ISC3 opens the discussion on the importance of Sustainable Chemistry as a holistic approach to make products and manufacturing processes safer for the environment and human health in view of this year’s 5th International Conference for Chemicals Management (ICCM5). The topic at the second of a total of four events in the new online live event series is on Thursday, 11 May 2023 “Renewable Energy & Sustainable Chemistry”. The focus will then be on the strategic plans of the European Union and countries such as Germany to promote a "hydrogen economy" in order to provide an impetus for a more sustainable mode of production. Participation is free of charge and requires only central registration. In addition to the individual sessions, there will be targeted opportunities for networking and individual exchange with experts and speakers.

E[co]work: Enabling safer, sound and inclusive e-waste management

E[co]work’s background story: Global e-waste volumes are expected to rise as the use of computers, mobile phones, and other electronics grows, alongside their rapid obsolescence. The Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP) reported in 2020 that volumes increased by 21% in just five years leading up to 2019, when 53.6 million metric tonnes were generated. According to GESP, only 17.4% of e-waste produced in 2019 reached formal management or recycling facilities. The rest was landfilled, largely in low- or middle-income countries with a lack of regulation, or where regulation exists but is poorly enforced. There, e-waste is dismantled, recycled and reprocessed by informal workers in environments where infrastructure, training and environmental and health protection are non-existent or poorly addressed. In comparison, GESP reported that the 17.4% that was collected and properly recycled prevented the release of 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents into the environment.

Addressing this challenge requires approaches that ensure environmentally sound management of e-waste and the health and safety of workers, their families and communities, as well as monitoring of e-waste exposure and its health impacts. In addition, better and safer reuse of materials and the production of more durable electronic and electrical equipment also play a critical role.

Countries like India have large informal collection and recycling sectors, with Northeast Delhi being a major hub where e-waste from around the country is aggregated, traded and dismantled. In India, 95% of the approximately three million tonnes of e-waste generated per year is collected and processed by informal micro-entrepreneurs. E[co]work Founder Dr. Deepali Khetriwal is working on this topic since her master thesis at University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, where she studied International Economics. At that time, approximately 18 years ago, when it was a relatively new topic, the policy regulations were only in development. Since then, she worked with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and UN agencies on projects related to e-waste. In 2018, Deepali, Dea Wehrli and Michael Gasser met in Mumbai where the seeds of the E[co]work were sown.

Read the whole story of the Indian start-up E[co]work here.

Christian Ruth-Strauß
Director Communications ISC3
christian.ruth-strauss@isc3.org

René Sutthoff
Konsequent PR
sutthoff@konsequent-pr.de

Über das ISC3
Das ISC3 fördert Nachhaltige Chemie für eine nachhaltige Welt. Dafür unterstützt das Internationale Kompetenzzentrum für Nachhaltige Chemie den Wechsel chemischer und chemienaher Sektoren zur Entwicklung nachhaltiger Lösungen. Ziel ist eine Kreislaufwirtschaft, die die vielfältigen Aspekte der Nachhaltigkeit über den gesamten Lebenszyklus von Produkten umsetzt, und ein Umdenken im Verhalten aller Beteiligten. Um den Dialog zwischen verschiedenen Sektoren und Akteuren weltweit, einschließlich Europa und anderen Regionen sowie Schwellen- und Entwicklungsländern voranzubringen, verfolgt das ISC3 einen Multi-Stakeholder-Ansatz mit der Vernetzung von politischen Entscheidungsträgern, öffentlichen und privaten Sektoren, Bildung, Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft. Es leistet einen Beitrag zur internationalen Chemikalienpolitik, entwickelt berufliche und akademische Weiterbildungsangeboten, berät Unternehmen und fördert Start-ups sowie die Forschung. Das 2017 vom Umweltbundesamt und dem Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz, nukleare Sicherheit und Verbraucherschutz gegründete Zentrum wird von der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) getragen und von der Gesellschaft für Chemische Technik und Biotechnologie (DECHEMA e.V.) als ISC3 Innovation Hub sowie der Leuphana Universität Lüneburg als ISC3 Research & Education Hub unterstützt. www.isc3.org