Glossary

The Advanced Recycling Fee (ARF) is the fee customers will have to pay on the purchase of new electronic or electrical equipment. This will be used to finance the Waste-IT Recycling System.

The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal is a global agreement ratified by over 100 member countries addressing the problems and challenges posed by hazardous waste. It aims to minimize the generation of hazardous wastes in terms of quantity and hazardousness, to dispose of them as close to the source of generation as possible and to reduce the movement of hazardous wastes. For more information go to www.basel.int

Compact florescent lamp

A collection point is a place where people can dispose their obsolete electric and electronic equipment. These points are normally located near shopping centers, where people also buy their appliances

The cathode ray tube or CRT, is the display device used in most computer monitors and televisions. Disposed of CRTs are toxic because of the phosphor which contains several toxic metals and the high lead content in the glass of the cone part of the CRT which is made of lead glass to block dangerous X-rays generated by the impact of the high-energy electron beam. For more information go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathode_ray_tube.

Disposal of wastes shall include their recovery or placing in a landfill as well as the preliminary stages of collection, transport, storage and treatment.

Electronic Waste (e-waste) or waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) means electrical or electronic equipment which is waste (wastes are all substances or objects which the holder disposes), including all components, subassemblies and consumables which are part of the product at the time of discarding. It includes computers and entertainment electronics consisting of valuable as well as harmful and toxic components. E-waste has become an attractive business in developing and transition countries due to low incomes as well as loopholes in the law and its enforcement. This results in risky recycling methods with major impacts on the health of people and the environment. The extreme rate of obsolescence and increasing imports from industrialized countries cause severe problems in these countries.

Empa is the multidisciplinary research institute for material science and technology of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) domain. It is specialised in applications-oriented research and development, as well as in offering services to help solving demanding problems in the fields of sustainable materials science and technology. The Technology and Society Lab within EMPA analyses the impacts of technological developments on society and the environment and is leading EMPA's e-waste activities. It is a pioneer in monitoring and control for e-waste management systems as the technical control body for setting recycling and disposal standards as well as auditing material flows through the Swiss system. Empa is also leading several projects in developing and emerging economies in Asia, Africa and Latin America to build capacities for e-waste management in areas of policy & legislation, business & financing and technology & skills.

IT Association of South Africa. The association unifies the companies and other stakeholders of the South African IT industry. http://www.ita.org.za

A landfill is an area designated to receive waste. Landfills can be harmful because they can leach toxins into the groundwater and methane and other toxic gases into the air. Landfilling e-waste is also undesirable because it permanently removes the material from further economic use.

A liquid crystal display is a thin, lightweight display device with no moving parts. It is the technology that is used in calculators, mobile phone and PDAs and is increasingly replacing the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) in monitors and TVs as well.

Recycling means the reprocessing in a production process of the waste materials for the original purpose or for other purposes, but excluding energy recovery which means the use of combustible waste as a means of generating energy through direct incineration with or without other waste but with recovery of the heat.

Reuse means any operation by which WEEE or components thereof are used for the same purpose for which they were conceived, including the continued use of the equipment or components thereof which are returned to collection points, distributors, recyclers or manufacturers.
Reuse is using an item more than once. This includes conventional reuse where the item is used again for the same function, and new-life reuse where it is used for a new function. (Wikipedia)

Wastes are substances or objects which are disposed of or are intended to be disposed of or are required to be disposed of by the provisions of national law. (Basel Convention)