Prepared by: Uca Silva, Plataforma RELAC, Chile

Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention , Cartagena, Colombia, 17 – 21 October 2011

Country Data

Legal Framework

Inhabitants: 16.8 million (2010)

Area: 756.950 km²

GDP (PPP): 15.002 USD/cap.

Computers:

Internet: 9.2 million users or 55% of pop. (2011)

WEEE: 70.000 tons generated per year (2010)

4.2 kg per capita and year

PC waste: 10.500 tons generated per year (2010)

Recycling Infrastructure

Management Systems/Take-Back Campaigns

Source: wikipedia.com, internetworldstats and own estimates.

(all WEEE categories)

At present, there are no specific regulations for WEEE

management. Therefore the WEEE is considered

hazardous waste under the Health Regulation for

Hazardous Waste (D.S. 148).

The following projects related to the establishment of a

specific legal framework for WEEE are currently in

progress or being discussed:

A Waste Management Law which includes the

principle of Extended Producer Responsibility and

addresses WEEE specifically

A National WEEE Management Plan

A specific Law Project for WEEE Management

(through the Parliament)

Chile is signatory of the Basel Convention and from

2010 should manage WEEE under the OECD

guidelines.

At the moment there are only two certified WEEE

recycling companies: Degraf and Recycla. Both of them

carry out manual disassembly and export the parts that

require refine. There is no precious metal refinery in the

country.

The informal sector is mostly handling collection from

households and SMEs. However, most of them do not

have the knowledge required to recycle this kind of

waste. 80% from the computer waste and 95% of the

obsolete mobile phones go to unknown destinations.

Since 2002, Chile counts on an important social

refurbishment program for computers, Chilenter. Up to

date more than 40.000 computers have been donated

to over 5.000 schools and educational institutions.

There is no national WEEE management system in

Chile. Existing e-waste recycling companies mainly

operate on a B2B basis. Nevertheless, the following

initiatives should be mentioned in this context:

In 2009 a voluntary agreement between the Chilean

Government, RELAC and Dell, Olidata, Epson and

LG was signed.

Based on the agreement, a few PC companies such

as Olidata, Dell and Sony set up individual take-back

campaigns. There is no public information about the

total amounts collected.

A take-back campaign for mobile phones carried out

between Metro and Claro during 2010 collected more

than 100.00 obsolete phones of all brands.

Current Status of WEEE Management in