Every year, billions of dollars worth of gold, silver, and copper sit in discarded phones and laptops across our islands - while toxic chemicals leak into our soil and water. Let's change that.
E-waste - short for electronic waste - refers to any discarded household or business item that has circuitry or electrical components. When these items are thrown away instead of properly recycled, they become a serious problem.
In Trinidad and Tobago, there are no national policies dictating how e-waste should be stored or discarded, and no formal incentives to encourage people to send their e-waste to recyclers. As a result, most of us store old devices at home indefinitely - or worse, throw them in the bin.
After collection, e-waste in T&T is typically transported to a landfill, where scrap iron operators extract what metals they can for export. This informal system loses billions in value and leaks toxins like lead, mercury, and cadmium into our land and water.
"There are no national policies dictating the manner e-waste should be stored or discarded, nor are there any formal incentives in place that create a societal want to send their e-waste to recyclers."
— Basel Convention E-Waste Assessment Report, Trinidad & Tobago, 2022E-waste is classified into six global categories, each with different lifecycles, materials, and recycling requirements. In T&T, all six are collected by recycling companies.
Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, heat pumps. The most recycled category in T&T - 39% of total volume (avg. 250 tonnes/year). Contains hazardous refrigerants requiring specialist handling.
Televisions, computer monitors, laptops, tablets. Accounts for 12% of recycled e-waste in T&T (avg. 75.5 tonnes/year). Contains lead in older CRT screens.
Bulbs and LEDs. One of the least recycled categories locally (avg. 37.75 tonnes/year, just 4% of volume). Many contain mercury - extremely hazardous if landfilled.
Washing machines, stoves, dishwashers, ovens. Accounts for 16% of recycled volume in T&T (avg. 100 tonnes/year). Large size makes collection easier but processing more complex.
Microwaves, fans, kettles, hairdryers, radios, tools, toys. The lowest recycled volume in T&T (avg. 25 tonnes/year, only 6%). Low perceived value means most end up in the bin.
Cell phones, computers, wireless routers, GPS devices. Highest mean recycling value (3.5/5) in T&T - 23% of volume (avg. 150 tonnes/year). Contain gold, silver & palladium worth recovering.
Research surveying e-waste recycling companies across T&T revealed some important realities about how electronic waste is currently managed on our islands.
All e-waste recycling companies in T&T collect e-waste exclusively from individuals and businesses. There are currently no government-run collection programs. The sector is dominated by informal operators.
Most recycling in T&T still relies on traditional manual methods - manual disassembly, basic shredding, and hand-sorting. No recycling company surveyed uses advanced automated technology in their operations.
100% of recyclers surveyed agree that awareness & education, legislation, and technical innovation are the three most critical factors needed to improve e-waste recycling in T&T.
Small appliances and lamps have the lowest recycling rates despite being discarded frequently. These are the categories most citizens can act on immediately by choosing to recycle rather than bin.
In 2022, Bmobile partnered with the Ministry of Planning and Development to introduce e-waste recycling bins across Trinidad and Tobago. These bins provide a secure way for individuals to dispose of their e-waste - promoting a safer, more sustainable environment.
Bmobile launched the campaign to highlight the security risks of improperly discarding old devices, as doing so can expose users to potential data breaches if their data is recovered by others.
Electronic devices contain a mix of valuable and highly toxic materials. When e-waste is improperly disposed of - landfilled, burned, or acid-bathed - these substances contaminate our environment.
Found in older screens and circuit boards. Causes neurological damage, especially in children.
Found in lamps and switches. Damages the kidneys, nervous system, and immune system.
Found in batteries and semiconductors. Accumulates in the body and causes kidney and bone damage.
Found in circuit boards and connectors. One tonne of smartphones contains more gold than one tonne of gold ore.
Found in contacts and conductors. High electrical conductivity makes it valuable to recover and reuse.
Found in wiring and motors. One of the most commonly recovered materials - the backbone of urban mining.
E-waste is buried in designated landfill areas. Over time, toxic substances like lead and mercury leach into soil and groundwater, contaminating drinking water sources and farmland.
Burning e-waste at high temperatures. Releases harmful dioxins, furans, and heavy metal particles into the atmosphere - contributing to respiratory disease and environmental pollution.
Extracting metals using acid solutions (acid leaching). Can retrieve valuable materials like gold and copper, but the acids used are hazardous and pose serious health and environmental risks.