During a recent regional workshop on the implementation of the Basel Convention in Africa, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) selected Desco Electronic Recyclers as Africa’s preferred e-waste practical training site.
Delegates from African countries that attended the recent regional workshop had the opportunity to tour Desco Electronic Recyclers e-waste recycling facility.
This recognition highlights Desco’s role as a tier 1 e-waste recycling facility and its commitment to advancing sustainable electronic waste management practices on the continent.
The workshop was organised in collaboration with the Africa Institute[1], the Basel Convention[2] and BRS Conventions[3] (the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions), and supported by UNEP, the United Nations Environmental Programme. It brought together some 70 participants from 20 African nations, including Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and others. Comprehensive sessions covering national legislation updates, enforcement strategies, and progressive approaches to e-waste management were shared with the delegates.
Desco Managing Director Giulio Airaga says the tour of Desco’s facility was an important part of the event, providing participants with a detailed, end-to-end understanding of the e-waste recycling process. "We demonstrated how material is sourced from public, private, and individual contributors before being transported and processed. Many delegates had questions about how we collect materials and ensure responsible recycling from start to finish. The tour allowed us to unpack these steps in detail."
Airaga explains that the dismantling process begins with careful hand dismantling of the electronic products, which is essential for safety and the effective separation of different materials. After dismantling, the materials undergo a series of mechanical processes, including cable granulation to recover copper, plastic granulate, and the separation of ferrous and non-ferrous metals. “With each step we extract maximum value from the e-waste and we adhere to global environmental and safety standards," he says.
Beyond the tour, Airaga highlighted that the interactive Q&A sessions were an especialy valuable aspect of the workshop. "Delegates were particularly interested in understanding how they could implement similar practices in their own countries. Many were keen to know how materials from discarded electronics can be transitioned into refined commodities ready to be reused in manufacturing. Our role in consulting and sharing guidelines for these processes was a key takeaway."
The workshop provided a platform for dialogue and knowledge sharing among regulators, industry experts, and environmental advocates. Showcasing these structured recycling processes, the event contributed to growing regional expertise and encouraged improvements in e-waste management. It reinforced commitments to the Basel Convention’s principles and highlighted the importance of transitioning Africa towards a more sustainable circular economy.
Notes
[1] Established in 2018, The Africa Institute, located in Sharjah, UAE, is an interdisciplinary academic research institute dedicated to the study, research, and documentation of Africa, its people and its cultures; its complex past, present and future; and its manifold connections with the wider world.
[2] The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was adopted on 22 March 1989 by the Conference of Plenipotentiaries in Basel, Switzerland, in response to a public outcry following the discovery, in the 1980s, in Africa and other parts of the developing world of deposits of toxic wastes imported from abroad.
[3] BRS Conventions: The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS)
The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions are multilateral environmental agreements, which share the common objective of protecting human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes.
TheBasel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was created to protect people and the environment from the negative effects of the inappropriate management of hazardous wastes worldwide. It is the most comprehensive global treaty dealing with hazardous waste materials throughout their lifecycles, from production and transport to final use and disposal.
The Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for certain hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in international trade provides parties with a first line of defence against hazardous chemicals. It promotes international efforts to protect human health and the environment as well as enabling countries to decide if they want to import hazardous chemicals and pesticides listed in the Convention.
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from highly dangerous, long-lasting chemicals by restricting and ultimately eliminating their production, use, trade, release and storage.
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