E-Waste Recycling: A Win-Win for the Environment and the Economy
By: Meshari Alnajjar
Riyadh, February Tuesday 11, 2025, SPA – FANA
The technology sector and the use of electronic devices are rapidly expanding worldwide. This surge has led to a significant increase in waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE or e-waste), one of the fastest-growing types of solid waste globally. E-waste poses considerable health and environmental risks if not disposed of safely and responsibly. However, it also presents significant economic and social opportunities through proper recycling and investment in sustainable e-waste management.
According to the executive regulations of the electronic and electrical waste management law, e-waste is defined as waste generated from equipment that operates with electric currents or electromagnetic fields. This includes all components, sub-assemblies, and consumables associated with the product when discarded.
E-waste encompasses a wide range of electronic products, including desktop computers, laptops, tablets, servers, televisions, large screens, printers, scanners, fax machines, video cameras, digital cameras, portable gaming devices, media players, mobile phones, smartphones, smartwatches, and wearable devices such as wireless headphones.
E-waste contains harmful and toxic materials like lead, mercury, and cadmium. Improper disposal contaminates the environment, including groundwater, and poses significant risks to human health.
Many electronic and electrical devices accumulate in homes, offices, and facilities, often discarded prematurely. They could be repaired, refurbished, or have their parts reused. However, improper disposal methods, such as burning or heating, are prevalent. These release toxic fumes, which travel long distances, impacting public health and contributing to environmental degradation, including reduced vegetation cover, increased global warming, and the rise of respiratory diseases.
Proper e-waste management is crucial, involving recycling and reusing valuable components while safely disposing of hazardous materials.
Government Efforts in E-Waste Management
The Kingdom’s commitment to environmental sustainability, as outlined in Vision 2030, drives its efforts to recycle e-waste. This aligns with national and global goals, including reducing carbon emissions, achieving carbon neutrality, and fostering a circular economy. Recycling e-waste supports a sustainable economy, effectively utilizes natural resources, minimizes financial waste, and enhances social responsibility by enabling needy families to access technology.
The National Center for Waste Management (MWAN), established by Cabinet Resolution No. 457 on 11/8/1440 AH, plays a pivotal role in organizing, monitoring, and stimulating investment in waste management activities. It aims to significantly reduce e-waste and battery disposal in landfills, targeting a 90-95% exclusion rate by 2035, and achieve a high reuse and recycling rate for e-waste and damaged batteries, exceeding 90%.
At COP28, the commission announced the launch of the “Developing E-Waste Management Regulations” initiative, in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union, to implement e-waste management regulations in Zambia, Rwanda, and Paraguay.
This initiative aims to reinforce the Kingdom’s leadership in global digital sustainability efforts. By introducing regulations that promote a circular economy and offering innovative solutions, the initiative seeks to accelerate the transition to green practices. This is crucial as global e-waste generation has reached 54 million tons annually, of which only 17% is recycled.
On Safar 24, 1438 AH, a royal order was issued allowing government agencies to donate used computers to the Ertiqa association.
Ertiqa Executive Director Omar Alshaibani told the Saudi Press Agency that the association focuses on collecting used computers, refurbishing them, and distributing them to social and educational entities.
Ertiqa utilizes the Blancco program and adheres to globally approved methods to securely erase all data from donated devices, ensuring user privacy.
One of Ertiqa’s notable projects is an initiative launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide computers to students from needy families to facilitate remote learning. The project achieved significant success, with over 40 million educational and training hours logged, over 30,000 devices distributed, and over 27,000 devices recycled. A total of 1,296 entities benefited from this program.
According to Alshaibani, over the past ten years, Ertiqa has received over 223,000 devices, of which over 97,000 were refurbished and distributed to 3,404 entities, resulting in a reuse rate of 46% and a recycle rate of 43%.
Recycling operations resulted in a reduction of 13,039,815 kg of carbon emissions, equivalent to the recycling of 2,608 tons of e-waste. This impactful work involved the participation of over 3,000 volunteers who contributed 57,080 volunteer hours. The estimated economic return of this activity exceeds SAR2.6 million.
The Communications, Space and Technology Commission carried out the “Recycle Your Device” initiative, in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and MWAN.
Under the initiative, a first-of-its-kind in the Kingdom, over 100,000 devices were collected from 20,000 participants, with a market value exceeding SAR30 million. More than 240 tons of e-waste were recycled and repaired, and over 120 schools and charitable associations received recycled devices.
In the investment sector, the Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC), a Public Investment Fund (PIF) subsidiary, was established by a royal decree to spearhead investment in the Kingdom’s recycling sector, aligning with Vision 2030’s goals. SIRC’s strategy focuses on investing in the recycling of 12 waste types to significantly advance the circular economy and contribute to the national target of increasing overall recycling operations to 81%.
A key subsidiary of SIRC is ELECTA, which specializes in the treatment and recycling of electronic, electrical, and metal waste. ELECTA further invested in the Sorting and Recycling Company for Environmental Services (EADA), SIRC’s executive arm for electronic waste and metal recycling. EADA operates facilities in Riyadh, the eastern and western regions, boasting an annual recycling capacity of 35,000 tons of e-waste. The company recovers valuable precious metals and raw materials, contributing to resource conservation.
EADA offers a comprehensive suite of services approved by governmental and international bodies, including e-waste and metal collection and recycling, non-hazardous industrial waste management, secure data destruction, rehabilitation of damaged electronic devices, and consultation services for dismantling and disposal projects.
Data destruction is a key service, conducted both on-site and at EADA’s facilities. Utilizing industrial shredders, the company ensures the secure destruction of sensitive devices, adhering to the globally recognized NAID AAA standard. A certificate of destruction is provided to each customer, enhancing security and trust.
EADA is committed to strict data destruction standards, including regular compliance audits, employee security training, comprehensive CCTV monitoring, and detailed customer reports with photographic and video documentation.
EADA currently collaborates with over 70 recycling partners, fostering local content and supporting the circular economy. The company’s recycling process leverages advanced technologies for efficient material separation and processing.
Citizens and residents wishing to donate devices may submit a request through the Ertiqa website at https://ertiqa.org/en or its app. Free device pickup will be scheduled with the donor.
