Objective 1: Develop a deeper understanding of the development and organisation of the e-waste industry in SA.

The first objective of the study was explored through two research questions. These questions explore the historical development of the industry and how the industry is organised and governed.

6.1.1 How has the e-waste industry historically developed in SA?

This question was explored in Chapter 4: Overview of South Africa’s Waste Management System: History & Governance. This investigation into the historical development of SA’s waste management system provided the much-needed insight into the current e-waste industry. The findings revealed that SA has progressive environmental and waste management legislation on par with international standards. However, this strict legislation soon became a hindrance for technology development and innovation of recycling initiatives due to the regulatory constraints and costs inhibiting the implementation thereof; originating from the legal definition of waste as an environmental liability instead of its true value as an untapped resource.

Chapter 4 also reveals that SA has long been using landfill as its primary technology for waste management. Although SA’s waste policy promotes the waste hierarchy and circular economy principles, the reality on-the-ground, until very recently, still saw relatively low landfill gate fees, lack of separation-at-source initiatives, and low recycling rates. However, the informal sector took it upon themselves to fill the gap

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between the municipal service chain and the recycling value chain for many waste streams – e-waste is one of them.

SA now finds itself in a fast-changing waste landscape. Government is prioritising waste diversion from landfill through various mechanisms, such as landfill bans, investment of public funds for research and development of the waste economy. The economic and job creation potential have also played a part in this change. However, there are mixed opinions as to whether the industry can sustain itself given the costs involved in waste processing and compliance. In response to this, extended producer responsibility (EPR) and Industry Waste Management Plans (IndWMP) are in the process of being implemented for e-waste, paper and packaging, as well as lighting industries. This ensures the cost of recycling is subsidised and calls on a more structured waste management system in terms of collection and collaboration of industry operators. The e-waste industry closely follows this development – being supported by an informal sector for collection; being hindered by strict waste legislation, and; awaiting EPR schemes in the form of IndWMPs to support industry growth.

6.1.2 How is the current e-waste industry organised and governed?

This question was explored in Chapter 5: Setting the Scene: South Africa’s WEEEcosystem. In this chapter the e-waste industry was described in terms of the quantities and flows into, around and out of the country; the value chain and stakeholder relationships were mapped; and the governance of the industry was further examined.

The findings to this question revealed that although there is a demand for e-waste recycling due to the growing volumes of e-waste generated and the potential value of the materials, the exact quantities cannot be accurately evaluated due to limited and incomplete waste data available. Estimations using import and sales data predict more than 300 000 tons of e-waste was generated in 2016. Of which only 11% was recycled in SA. There is thus a need to track e-waste generation and recycling data through development and implementation of mandatory waste information systems, as well as unlock greater volumes of e-waste for recycling.

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The mapping of the stakeholder network and the e-waste value chain revealed that the extent of material recovery from e-waste in SA is limited to collection, dismantling and sorting. While end-processing happens in European countries who import the metal- rich, value fractions. Furthermore, a hierarchy of recyclers exists within the value chain, starting with the informal waste pickers who sell their fractions to smaller recyclers, who then sell their fraction to larger recyclers, who then sell their fractions overseas.

Lastly, the governance of the e-waste industry is examined more closely in relation to location, capacity and compliance requirements for e-waste recyclers.

Overall, objective 1 was fully met and provided a clear grounding in the organisation of the e-waste industry in SA, which was necessary to fulfil the subsequent objectives.

6.2 _{Objective 2: Investigate existing technology options for e-waste end-}

processing.

6.2.1 What are the existing technology options for e-waste end-processing?

Existing technology was explored in the literature review, Section 2.3: E-waste Processing Technologies. This exercise revealed that technology options for e-waste end- processing, which is mainly metal recovery processing, often results in a comparison between pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy. However, the successful implementation of these technologies is largely dependent on the context in which they operate. Pyrometallurgy is often associated with large scale smelting operations for metal-rich e- waste fractions, sometimes in conjunction with traditional mineral ore processing for metal extraction. While hydrometallurgy is favourable for small-scale operations for metal recovery. Hydrometallurgy is also used for final product refining in both cases. The implementation and feasibility of some of these technologies in the SA context were explored in Section 5.2.3: Technologies used for E-waste Processing. Some of the factors considered were economies of scale, health and safety of the operation, accessibility to small recyclers and environmental implications.

This objective was fully met; however, it should be noted that this examination did not result in a clear answer as to what technology should be implemented in SA. Rather, it

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provided insights into what should be considered for implementation in the local context.

6.3 Objective 3: Identify the socio-economic and legal legislative barriers