The Context: Pioneering a New Path for E-Waste in the Global South
The world generated an estimated 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022 alone—an amount expected to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030. Electronic waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world—and among the most challenging to manage sustainably. While it contains valuable secondary raw materials, it also poses significant health and environmental risks when handled improperly. In many countries of the Global South, where informal actors dominate recycling systems, e-waste is too often a hazard, not a resource.
In response, the Sustainable Recycling Industries (SRI) programme was launched in 2013 with the aim of building sustainable e-waste management systems that are both environmentally sound and socially inclusive. Founded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), and implemented through a global network of partners—including the Swiss Federal Institute for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), the World Resources Forum Association, and local institutions across Africa, Latin America, and Asia— SRI worked to improve environmental and occupational standards, support inclusive policy frameworks, and create market access for sustainable recyclers.
Over more than a decade, SRI helped shift the narrative around e-waste—from a hazardous burden to a catalyst for development, job creation, and circular economy opportunities. The programme supported the adoption of national e-waste policies, including extended producer responsibility (EPR), the design and implementation of technical standards, recycler training programs, and building trust within the actors of the recycling sector in Ghana, Egypt, South Africa, Peru, and Colombia.
Purpose and Goals
This session aims to reflect on the learnings, legacy and long-term impact of the Sustainable Recycling Industries (SRI) project, now concluding after over 12 years of implementation. It will explore how the programme contributed to the development of sustainable, inclusive e-waste systems by shaping policy, building capacity, and engaging the informal sector across the Global South. By sharing key lessons, country-specific insights, and perspectives from those directly involved, the session seeks inspire new collaborations that build on SRI’s success in turning waste into a driver of local development and global sustainability.
Topics for Discussion
- What has SRI taught us about integrating informal actors into formal recycling systems?
- Which policy had the greatest impact—and why?
- What’s needed to sustain and scale SRI’s improvements post-programme?
- How can its lessons support future related initiatives?
As we reflect on more than a decade of collaboration, innovation, and system reform, we must ask:
How can global partnerships continue to support local action to drive the development of a sustainable, inclusive recycling sector?
About the Session
This session organized by SRI, will bring together voices from across the project’s global implementation team to reflect on the experience, the challenges overcome, and the transformations catalyzed on the ground.
Heinz Böni – Head of research group CARE – Critical Materials and Resource Efficiency 2001-2024, EMPA
Join us at WRF25 to explore what it really takes to turn waste into resources—and how a 12-year journey across continents might shape the next decade of sustainable development.