Closing workshop on 5 Feb 2013

The presentation materials used in the closing workshop on 5 Feb 2013 were uploaded here.

A Workshop for sharing the progress of the Pilot Project was held on Nov. 1st, 2012.

Six months have passed since the Pilot Project for collecting e-waste in Penang Island was started on June 2nd, 2012.  A workshop for sharing the progress of the Pilot Project and the data accumulated for these six months was held in Penang Island on November 1st, 2012.

The workshop was opened by Dato' Hassan Bin Mat, Director, Department of Environment Penang. He emphasized the importance of the proper management of e-wastes from households.

The next speaker was Mr. Foo Kok Beng, Senior Assistant Environmental Health Officer, of Municipal Council of Penang Island (MPPP). He introduced MPPP’s plan to upgrade their original e-waste collection system initiated in 2004 through the collaboration with DELL and PEWOG (Penang Environment Working Group). MPPP is starting a new e-waste collection system for all types of e-waste, while MPPP only collects personal computers under the original system started in 2004. 

Also, he showed MPPP’s will to continue with the Pilot Project on their own  with DOE Penang even after the E-waste Penang Project coordinated by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), noting that the Project is ending next March.

Dato' Dr. Ong Hean Tee, Chairperson of PEWOG invited by Mr. Foo Kok Beng, promised to support MPPP by emphasizing the importance of a round-table meeting among all stakeholders.

Mr. Hideki Wada, JICA Expert of Penang E-waste Project, reported that the Pilot Project is going well so far by introducing some results of the data analysis. The cooperation rate of people is rather low: 10-20% for home electric appliances and 30% for mobile phones, due to the low awareness  among the people. If the Pilot Project gains recognition by 100% of the people, the expected cooperation rates would go up to 20-40% for home electric appliances and to 60% for mobile phones, where the present recognition rate among the people is around 40%.  The estimation will be updated with the future data of collected e-wastes.

By using these data, the “Willingness to be paid” model were developed and introduced as a practical planning tool.  These formulas can tell us about appropriate prices of e-wastes so as to attain a certain cooperation rate, assuming that the major factor defining people’s discarding behaviors is “price”.  If the price cannot be covered by the price shown by the full recovery facility, the gap might be borne by the social cost by introducing a new mechanism.

The workshop proceeded to the questions and discussions part after expectations for the Pilot Project  were stated from the official supporters and the local participating retailers.

The participants mainly discussed two things. One was about who shall bear the social cost, and the other was about further necessary actions for proper e-waste management.

About the social cost allocation, a participant proposed that consumers can bear the cost if it is included in the prices of e-products, even though any subsidization from governmental sectors may be effective as a short-term measures.  Mr. Wada showed his concern  that any subsidization from the governmental agencies might spoil the market mechanism.

About the further necessary actions, involvement of the informal sector and regulation on import/export were pointed out.

The workshop was closed by the words of Mr. Wada: “The Pilot Project is just a baby. Please bring up this baby by your cooperation.”

Presentations of the Workshop on Nov. 1, 2012

The presentations presented in the Workshop on Nov. 1 can be downloaded  here.

(The presentation from MPPP has been uploaded.)

Pilot Project Progress will be reported in the next workshop.

A workshop for reporting the progress of the Pilot Project are being held in Penang on Nov. 1.

Please check here.

Training in Japan and Business Matching Seminar in Tokyo

Some members of the full recovery facilities in charge of the pilot project came to Japan in a training program coordinated by JICA. The purpose of the training program is to develop the e-waste dismantling techniques. They visited some e-waste recycling factories and experienced how to dismantle e-wastes from households. It is expected that this training will contribute to open up a new perspective of the technology and the method of processing e-wastes.

Practicing how to dismantle e-waste (at Panasonic Eco Technology Center Co., Ltd. (PETEC))(Photo provided by PETEC)

In the training programs, “Business Matching Seminar” was held on 12 September, 2012 in JICA HQ Office, Tokyo, inviting Japanese private companies, academics and mass media. JICA and the JICA expert team explained the basic statistics of Malaysian economy, rules and regulations for recycling and the findings of the pilot project so far. The participants and the two full recovery facilities got to know each other toward future mutual business opportunities.

The Pilot Project was launched!

Since March, we prepared for the Pilot Project for collecting e-wastes from households for recycling. We discussed the concept in the Local Working Group, invited the local businesses, developed the monitoring system, designed the paper media for advertisement and prepared the opening events. Finally, we could start the Pilot Project on June 2. You can visit http://www.facebook.com/ewaste.Penang managed by the local businesses with the related organizations for the further information.

In the Pilot Project, two home electric appliance shops and two mobile phone shops are ready to collect e-wastes from households. Home electric appliance shops are offering to take back the e-wastes from households upon delivery of the purchased products, while it is a good timing for mobile phone shops to offer the customer to recycle their mobile phones in the shops upon purchase. The progress of the Pilot Project will be reported soon.

Two series of events were held for celebrating the launching.

On June 1, the opening workshop was held. The Pilot Project was celebrated by the opening remarks from Mr. Masayuki Hayashi, JICA Malaysia and Dr. Zulkifli Abdul Rahman, Deputy Director General (Operation), DOE Putrajaya. Also, Deputy Consul-General, Consulate-General of Japan in Penang attended for celebrating the Pilot Project commencement.

The local businesses who participated in the Pilot Project expressed their expectations, after Mr. Hideki Wada explained the concept of the Pilot Project.

On June 2, the opening outdoor event was held. The VIPs in Penang, including Consul-General, Consulate-General of Japan in Penang made the speeches. In the event site, nine companies and organizations including EPSON, Dell and the local businesses opened the booths appealing to the visitors about the importance of the environment. Also, the lucky draw was given to the visitor for further attention. Three official supporters including Toshiba provided their products for the lucky draw prizes.

Presentation in Pilot Project Worshop

The presentation in the Pilot Project Launching Workshop on June 1, 2012 can be downloaded here.