International E-Waste Management Network (IEMN)
According to the United Nations, the growing volume of electronic waste, including mobile phones, laptops, televisions, refrigerators and electrical toys, poses a major threat to the environment and human health. In 2016, only about 20 percent of all e-waste globally was recycled. Certain components of electronic products contain materials that are hazardous when not disposed of correctly and can leach lead and other substances into soil and groundwater. Many of these products can be reused, refurbished, or recycled in an environmentally sound manner so that they are less harmful to the ecosystem and reduce the need to extract or manufacture virgin materials to fabricate new products.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (Taiwan EPA) have collaborated through the International Environmental Partnership Exitsince 2011 to build global capacity for the environmentally sound management of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), which is commonly called e-waste. To support this goal, U.S. EPA and Taiwan EPA coordinate the International E-Waste Management Network (IEMN).
IEMN 2022
International E-waste Management Network Virtual Meeting
Accelerating Net-Zero Emission through E-waste Management
Date: Sep. 2, 2022
International E-waste Management Network Virtual Meeting
Accelerating Net-Zero Emission through E-waste Management
Date: Sep. 2, 2022
During the meeting, Taiwan shared information on its successful recycling system with the partner countries and presented several new sustainable innovations for recycling, thus promoting Taiwan’s recycling industry to the world.
IEMN 2019
Taiwan EPA partners with US EPA to host the 9th Meeting of International E-waste Management Network
Date: Dec. 2, 2019
The 9th annual meeting of the International E-waste Management Network was held in Bangkok, Thailand from December 2-4, 2019. Over 50 experts and scholars from nine countries shared their experiences with building partnerships concerning E-waste management, recycling management systems and innovative technologies, thereby strengthening the sharing of information on international E-waste management.
The Taiwan EPA pointed out that Taiwan has helped to establish successful recycling policy models in many countries. This year, the meeting focused on the communication between countries to improve E-waste management systems. Experts from Brazil shared information on their challenges and on the implementation of a new E-waste reverse logistics system plan. This will be an important incentive for partner countries to set up resource recycling systems, and also demonstrates the impact over the years of Taiwan-US cooperation and partner meetings in the field of international e-waste management.
During the meeting, Taiwan shared information on its successful recycling system with the partner countries and presented several new sustainable innovations for recycling, thus promoting Taiwan’s recycling industry to the world.
IEMN 2018
Quezon City, Philippines, the 8th International E-Waste Management Network (IEMN) Workshop 24 – 28 September 2018
Officials from 11 countries participate in the 8th International E-Waste Management Workshop in Manila, Philippines in September 2018. Click to enlarge.
On September 24-29, 2018, the U.S. EPA and Taiwan EPA sponsored the 8th International E-Waste Management Network (IEMN) Workshop in Manila, Philippines to increase the implementation of environmentally sound management of electronic waste.
Government officials from 11 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Tuvalu and Vietnam) enhanced their capacity to:
- assess downstream markets for e-waste materials;
- understand the opportunities and impacts of major market changes;
- examine the benefits and barriers involved with new processes and technologies;
- identify effective ways of building relationships and working with industry; and
- describe the elements of a facility audit to protect worker health and safety and the environment.
Throughout the workshop, participants identified individual actions to enhance their comprehensive programs for the collection, reuse and recycling of e-waste, as well as, collective and IEMN team actions to achieve our shared mission of increasing the implementation of environmentally sound management of e-waste.
IEMN 2017
Jakarka Hosts the Seventh Meeting of International E-waste Management Network
(International E-waste Management Network)
Date: October 2-6, 2017
The U.S. EPA, Taiwan’s EPAT and Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry co-hosted the seventh annual meeting of the International E-Waste Management Network (IEMN) from October 2-6, 2017 in Jakarta, Indonesia. 50 participants from 19 countries in Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe representing both government and nom-government sectors shared their experiences of e-waste management.
The first day of the IEMN meeting commemorated Indonesia’s Batik Day on October 2 with a series of lectures that purely focused on Indonesia’s e-waste challenges. The next four days saw all international representatives share ideas about future e-waste policies and new technologies available. A representative from the International Finance Corporation was invited to the meeting and outlined various ways to obtain financing for recycling projects.
