| History, Problems, and Progress in E Waste Recycling In-Country |
Like other developing countries, waste management has become a major problem in the Philippines. The rapid population growth, urbanization and modernization in the country have resulted in the significant increase of e-waste generated especially in urban cities. The Philippines lacks in policies, programmes and projects related to E-waste management. There are no clear national guidelines on how to implement recycling or waste prevention. Standards therefore vary between municipalities and districts/wards. |
| E-Wasters Services and Special Practices In-Country |
While there are a few formal sites accredited by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to handle e-waste and policies that mention e-waste, the Philippines lacks a comprehensive e-waste management system.
Treatment, Storage, and Disposal (TSD) facilities in the Philippines dismantle and segregate the components of e-waste. Most of them have crushers for printed wiring boards (PWBs) and/or waste plastics, and stripping machines for copper wires. PWBs are exported to Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and China via Hong Kong, whereas recovered ferrous and non-ferrous metals, waste plastics, and electronic devices are generally separated and sold to local recycler.
Informal recycling facilities thrive in the country, achieving 20-50% of the recycling rates. There are more than 2,300 registered and unregistered junkshops operating in Metro Manila. The main difference of these informal recyclers from formal recyclers is they generally use illegal methods such as open burning of e-waste, particularly cords, to recover valuable materials, which they sell to other facilities. |
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