The implementation of an official extended producer responsibility (EPR) to manage e-waste in Chile is only a matter of time, environment and CSR manager for local tech recycling company Recycla, Mauricio Núñez, told BNamericas.
The future of e-waste management is in making manufacturers and importers responsible for the final disposal of this type of residue, Núñez said.
To illustrate his point, the executive mentioned mobile phone companies, both manufacturers and importers, which are known for the high penetration of their products in the market.
"These firms place a great deal of equipment on the market; the more the better for them. However, the sustainability of these products must be addressed," the executive said.
"They need to be responsible for the batteries and phone chargers they sell. The idea is for them to sell these products, retrieve them and then recycle them in an environmentally appropriate fashion," he added.
Núñez also said several Chilean congressmen are working on initiatives to regulate e-waste after reading a Recycla book on EPR.
"There is some work left to be done, but very little. The issue is on the national agenda and President Michelle Bachelet is aware of it," he said.
EPR integrates environmental costs into the final market price of products by imposing accountability over the entire lifespan of a product and its packaging after it is introduced to the market.
This way, manufacturers, importers and sellers of products and packaging are made financially or physically responsible for the proper processing or disposal of these goods after useful life expires.
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