OIM - Toolkit for developing a circular economy for e-waste in displacement settings

Toolkit for Developing a Circular Economy for E-waste in Displacement Settingsi The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Internati onal Organization for Migration (IOM). The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout the publication do not imply expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IOM concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning its frontiers or boundaries.

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This publication was made possible through support provided by Innovation Norway, under the project "E -Waste Circular

Economy Scale: Exploring Synergies and Insights”.

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Cover photo: Project participant holding a repaired solar lantern. © IOM 2022/Juan CARLOS Back photo: An e-waste technician in Bidibidi testing one of the repaired items © IOM 2022/S aray QUIRANT

Required citation: International Organization for Migration (2025). Toolkit for developing a circular economy for e-waste in displacement

settings. IOM, Uganda.

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ISBN 978-92-9278-050-0 (PDF)

© IOM 2025

settings. IOM, Uganda.

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ISBN 978-92-9278-050-0 (PDF)

© IOM 2025

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PUB2025/055/RToolkit for Developing a Circular Economy for E-waste in Displacement Settingsii

Acknowledgements This Toolkit was developed as an output of the IOM E -waste Project, funded by Innovation Norway and delivered in partnership with private sector partners BRIGHT Products, Solvoz , TotalEnergies, and AceleAfrica, implemented by IOM Uganda and IOM’s implementing partner Mercy Corps. The Toolkit includes inputs from the Global Task Force on E -waste in Displacement Settings, including GPA/UNITAR, UNHCR, WFP, WREC, the Logistics Cluster, Action Against Hunger, and partners such as Solvoz, BRIGHT Products, Mercy Corps and TINKR.

Contributors: Gemma Arthurson, WASH Research and Innovation Lead; Saray Quirant, Project Officer (Innovation & Private Sector); Abubaker Mayemba, Senior Project Assistant (MECR) at IOM Aimee Jenks, Partnerships and Strategy Lead; Elif Gül Demir, E -waste in Displacement Settings Task Force

Sector); Abubaker Mayemba, Senior Project Assistant (MECR) at IOM Aimee Jenks, Partnerships and Strategy Lead; Elif Gül Demir, E -waste in Displacement Settings Task Force Lead; Katherine Patterson, Knowledge Management Lead at GPA Coordination Unit hosted at UNITAR Muhammad Omar Qasmi, Category Manager (Energy) at UNHCR Gladys Owino, Environmental Management Associate and Emanuela Cattaneo, Environmental Sustainability Officer at WFP Michela Balzino, Circular Economy Specialist at Logistics Cluster Environmental Sustainability team (WREC) Céline Heim, Sustainable supply chain coordinator at Action Against Hunger Lorena Muñoz, Sustainability and Partnerships at BRIGHT Products Purity Kendi Gituma, Energy Access Advisor at Mercy Corps Solvoz team Tinkr teamiii

Contents Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... ii List of tools............................................................................................................................................................................................................................v Acronyms .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................vii

1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Scope.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Audience...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Background ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 2

2. Organizational assessment ............................................................................................................................................................................ 4

3. Location selection................................................................................................................................................................................................ 5 3.1 Assessment of policy and regulations ..................................................................................................................................... 5 3.2 Site security and risk assessment ................................................................................................................................................ 7 3.3 Waste volumes, infrastructure, environmental conditions ................................................................................... 12 3.4 Location selection decision tree .............................................................................................................................................. 15 3.5 SWOT analysis of all locations with a “Go” ................................................................................................................... 16

4. Stakeholder engagement ............................................................................................................................................................................. 17 4.1 User needs, knowledge, attitudes and practices survey ......................................................................................... 17 4.2 Local stakeholder mapping .......................................................................................................................................................... 19 4.3 Private sector mapping ................................................................................................................................................................... 23 4.4 Humanitarian and development sectors ............................................................................................................................ 27 4.5 National governments and district officials ...................................................................................................................... 27

4.2 Local stakeholder mapping .......................................................................................................................................................... 19 4.3 Private sector mapping ................................................................................................................................................................... 23 4.4 Humanitarian and development sectors ............................................................................................................................ 27 4.5 National governments and district officials ...................................................................................................................... 27 4.6 Academia.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 29 4.7 Cross-sectoral collaboration ...................................................................................................................................................... 29

5. Monitoring and evaluation .......................................................................................................................................................................... 36

6. Creation of a circular economy ............................................................................................................................................................. 40 6.1 Sustainable procurement .............................................................................................................................................................. 40 6.2 Health and safety ................................................................................................................................................................................ 44 6.3 Collection ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 47 6.4 Repairs........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 48 6.5 Battery recycling .................................................................................................................................................................................. 51 6.6 Recycling and disposal ..................................................................................................................................................................... 51 6.7 Circular business model ................................................................................................................................................................. 54

7. Capacity-building and community engagement .......................................................................................................................... 59 7.1 Communication campaigns ......................................................................................................................................................... 59iv

7.2 Collection and repair training .................................................................................................................................................... 59 7.3 Community cohesion ...................................................................................................................................................................... 61

8. Appendices............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 62 8.1 References ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 62 8.2 Recommendations for further research ............................................................................................................................ 63 8.3 IOM guidelines on operational battery management ............................................................................................... 63v

List of tools Tool 2.A: Organizational assessment ................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Tool 3.A: Policy and regulation assessment process .............................................................................................................................. 5 Tool 3.B: Initiative risk assessment template ................................................................................................................................................. 8 Tool 3.C: Infrastructure and waste volume requirements checklist ......................................................................................... 13 Tool 3.D: Location selection decision tree ................................................................................................................................................. 15 Tool 4.A: Needs, knowledge attitudes and practices survey questions ................................................................................. 17 Tool 4.B: Initial local stakeholder mapping exercise – who does what? ................................................................................ 19

Tool 3.D: Location selection decision tree ................................................................................................................................................. 15 Tool 4.A: Needs, knowledge attitudes and practices survey questions ................................................................................. 17 Tool 4.B: Initial local stakeholder mapping exercise – who does what? ................................................................................ 19 Tool 4.C: Mapping of local waste management service providers ............................................................................................ 19 Tool 4.D: Understanding practices of local waste management service providers ....................................................... 21 Tool 4.E: Observations of local waste management service providers .................................................................................. 23 Tool 4.F: Example of willingness to repair and entrepreneurial mindset and impact on uptake of circular economy model in Bidibidi, Uganda ........................................................................................................................................ 23 Tool 4.G: Market dialogue questions .............................................................................................................................................................. 23 Tool 4.H: Example of private company profiling ................................................................................................................................... 26 Tool 4.I: Humanitarian and development actor data and understanding ............................................................................. 27 Tool 4.J: National government and district official engagement .................................................................................................. 27 Tool 4.K: Academic institution engagement .............................................................................................................................................. 27 Tool 4.L: Example of cross-collaboration workshop sessions .................................................................................................... 27 Tool 4.M: Example of circular economy ...................................................................................................................................................... 27 Tool 4.N: Example of a graphic design from an ideation workshop .................................................................................. 27 Tool 5.A: Monitoring and evaluation best practice guidance ........................................................................................................ 36 Tool 5.B: Pre-service survey questions .......................................................................................................................................................... 36 Tool 5.C: Post-service satisfaction survey questions ........................................................................................................................... 37 Tool 5.D: Technician repair forms ................................................................................................................................................................... 38 Tool 5.E: Example of the need for qualitative and quantitative contextualized data analysis ................................ 39 Tool 6.A: Recommended sustainable procurement criteria for e -products...................................................................... 41 Tool 6.B: Example of the solar supplier evaluation tool ................................................................................................................... 41 Tool 6.C: Example of the case for user-needs-based products ................................................................................................ 45

Tool 6.A: Recommended sustainable procurement criteria for e -products...................................................................... 41 Tool 6.B: Example of the solar supplier evaluation tool ................................................................................................................... 41 Tool 6.C: Example of the case for user-needs-based products ................................................................................................ 45 Tool 6.D: Guide to e-waste health and safety risks ............................................................................................................................. 45 Tool 6.E: E-waste collection services checklist ......................................................................................................................................... 45 Tool 6.F: Repair centre best practice guidance ....................................................................................................................................... 48 Tool 6.G: Repair technicians' services checklist ....................................................................................................................................... 49 Tool 6.H: Spare part requirements case studies .................................................................................................................................... 50 Tool 6.I: Best practice guidelines for battery recycling ....................................................................................................................... 51 Tool 6.J: E-waste recycling and disposal centre service requirements .................................................................................... 51 Tool 6.K: Recycling and disposal services checklist .............................................................................................................................. 51 Tool 6.L: Potential business models for circular economy creation ....................................................................................... 51 Tool 7.A: Best practice guidelines for communication campaigns for creating a circular economy for e-waste in displacement settings ................................................................................................................................................ 59 Tool 7.B: Collection and repair training best practice guidance .................................................................................................. 59 Tool 7.C: Community cohesion case study ............................................................................................................................................... 61vi

Acronymns EPR Extended Producer Responsibility FPDs Flat Panel Displays GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GOGLA Global Off-Grid Lighting Association PCBs Printed Circuit Boards PPE Personal Protective Equipment PV Photovoltaic PVC Polyvinyl Chloride UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNITAR United Nations Institute for Training and Research WASH Water, Sanitation and Hygiene WEEE Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment WFP World Food Programme WREC Waste Recovery and Electronic Centre1

1. Introduction

1.1 Scope

UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNITAR United Nations Institute for Training and Research WASH Water, Sanitation and Hygiene WEEE Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment WFP World Food Programme WREC Waste Recovery and Electronic Centre1

1. Introduction 1.1 Scope This Toolkit for Developing a Circular Economy for E -waste in Humanitarian Settings (“Toolkit”) presents lessons learnt across a range of e -waste management projects in the form of tools (including checklists, assessments, best practices and case studies) f or use by the humanitarian sector. It provides a model to replicate or scale-up circular economy initiatives (“Initiative”) to other locations.

This Toolkit recognizes that there is not one model, but rather a blend of adapted models based on what works and what is relevant to specific contexts . However, the Toolkit is based on lessons learnt from a range of organizations across a range of e-waste projects, which we hope can act as a guide to overcoming barriers and building on the sectoral knowledge for ongoing learning and improvements. 1.2 Audience The tools presented in this Toolkit are developed for the humanitarian sector, specifically international humanitarian coordination agencies such as United Nations agencies, and actors working in local camp management and operations including district offi cials, INGOs and NGOs. Several U nited Nations organizations have already placed the challenge of e -waste in displacement settings on their agenda, including International Telecommunications Union, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and World Food Programme (WFP). Additionally, there is a growing number of initiatives, companies and program mes that prioritize e-waste management including:

• The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit ( GIZ) Energy Solutions for Displacement Settings (SUN -ESDS) Programme provides sustainable energy solutions through market-based approaches in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. • The Global Platform for Action on Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings (GPA) is a

• The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit ( GIZ) Energy Solutions for Displacement Settings (SUN -ESDS) Programme provides sustainable energy solutions through market-based approaches in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. • The Global Platform for Action on Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings (GPA) is a UNITAR-based initiative promoting sustainable energy access in displacement settings. • Greening the Blue is a UNEP initiative assisting the U nited Nations system in transitioning towards environmental sustainability in its facilities and operations. • Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (G OGLA) is a global association supporting the off -grid solar energy industry. • Sofies Group, commissioned by GIZ SUN -ESDS, conducted research on e -waste management in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda and aided in the development of a pilot e -waste project in a displacement setting.

Many of the above entities have contributed to this Toolkit. However, it is recognized that lessons learnt are not applicable for all audiences, who can vary significantly in terms of mandate and responsibilities in managing e -waste in displacement settings. F lexibility is a crucial aspect of creating a circular economy, therefore, this Toolkit presents different tools that can be extracted and used as stand-alone documents, combined and/or adapted depending on the audience and context . To support this, each tool is c olourcoded for its likely applicability to each audience.2

International coordination agencies In most cases, U nited Nations agencies are responsible for providing overview of initiatives within displacement settings, overseeing standardized elements, including engaging pre -qualified suppliers and implementation agencies, as well as coordination for continuous improvement and knowledge sharing.

Technical working bodies and NGOs Technical working bodies set the technical direction of the sector and develop important research, guidelines, standards as well as undertake coordination and advocacy work. For the purposes of this Toolkit, they are not considered to be working in the fie ld, but providing technical advice, whereby some tools may be relevant to their work.

Technical working bodies set the technical direction of the sector and develop important research, guidelines, standards as well as undertake coordination and advocacy work. For the purposes of this Toolkit, they are not considered to be working in the fie ld, but providing technical advice, whereby some tools may be relevant to their work.

Local camp management and operations At the camp level, actors are responsible for implementing and operationalizing solutions in specific camps and adapting them to their context and capabilities. This level also comprises stakeholders in charge of operations, including collection, repair and sales, inc luding integration of different informal actors such as scrap dealers and repair centres.

1.3 Background Humanitarian agencies provide basic life-saving services to displacement settings. This can include electronic equipment to improve access to affordable energy and communications, which whilst serve their purpose of providing light, power and enabling education, protection and livelihoods, can also cause bulk waste when these products are at end of life. Electronic waste (e -waste) has become the fastest growing waste stream in displacement camps . Safe and effective e -waste management has specific challenges in displacement settings: • Informal collection and recycling are prevalent meaning often unsafe practices are utilized to gain small profit margins at the camp level. • Repairers face significant challenges due to the unavailability of quality spare parts and proper tools needed for effective repairs. • Although many repairers possess basic skills, they require additional training to enhance their capabilities and keep up with evolving technologies. • Trust in repair remains low, largely because of inconsistent service quality, which stems from the lack of reliable spare parts and adequate tools. • Displacement settings may not have well -established regulations or policies regarding e -waste management. The absence of clear guidelines can contribute to unregulated informal recycling practices and the absence of enforcement mechanisms. • Waste management is often not subsidized by the government in these settings, meaning there is not enough of a profit margin to allow collection for economies of scale for the formal sector . • Improper e -waste management practices, such as open burning or dismantling without safety

practices and the absence of enforcement mechanisms. • Waste management is often not subsidized by the government in these settings, meaning there is not enough of a profit margin to allow collection for economies of scale for the formal sector . • Improper e -waste management practices, such as open burning or dismantling without safety measures, can result in the release of hazardous substances and pollutants into the environment. This poses health risks to the displaced population and contributes t o environmental degradation. • Limited data on e -waste volumes, flows and disposal routes already existing in displacement settings, creating challenges for developing a sustainable business model for e -waste management • Basic infrastructure for waste management is scarce, such as quality recycling facilities. • Environments are often harsh and the durability of products low . • Consumers are often not the purchasers of products, which are handed out by humanitarian organizations, meaning the ability to take -back broken products under a warrantee is not possible.3

The above complexities mean displacement settings are commonly exposed to toxic compounds contained in e -waste during unsafe disassembly or disposal through burning or throwing in latrines, bushes or waterways. This includes heavy metals, polychlorinated b iphenyls, brominated flame retardants, and chlorinated and brominated dioxin related compounds. The common practice of burning is known to increase the toxicity of inhaled particulate matter, in addition to expanding its geographical range of impact. This can have a wide-ranging impact on the environment and compounded by the often -congested nature of displacement settings, a large impact on human health. For example, lead is a highly poisonous heavy metal that has numerous adverse effects on various human organs when swallowed or inhaled, leading to severe damage to brain and kidneys and can severely