E-waste Statistics: Guidelines on Classifications, Reporting and Indicators, second edition.

Currently, only a few countries have a uniform measurement system for waste electrical and electronic equipment (e-waste or WEEE). However, there is already substantial data available for both developed and less-developed countries that relate to e-waste statistics. In order to improve comparability between countries, a sound measurement framework is proposed that integrates available statistical data and non-statistical data sources into e-waste statistics. The framework captures the most important elements of e-waste and is relevant to all countries that aim to gather data and compile statistics on e-waste. Finally, indicators can be constructed from the framework, which provide a useful overview of the size of the market for electronic and electrical products within a country, as well as its e-waste generated and e-waste collection performance, and serve as a resource for policymaking. The concepts of the measurement framework have been followed by the EU and have resulted in the official adoption of the common methodology to track the collection and recycling target for article 7 in the EU WEEE Directive. Next to that, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) have used the measurement framework in pilots to gather data on e-waste globally. The methods have been applied successfully for the first Global E-waste Monitor published by the United Nations University, the second Global E-waste Monitor published by the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership, and two regional e-waste monitors co-authored by the United Nations University. This measurement framework is presented along with a classification of e-waste. Though the classification is, at this stage, stand-alone, it links to multiple data sources and data formats, such as the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) and the EU WEEE Directive reporting. Relevant data for the construction of the indicators might be already available in the countries’ databases. The guidelines also give methods, country examples, and information to an open source script that helps countries to make their own estimates if no data is available. In addition to the full measuring framework, minimum requirements are proposed to collect and report on e-waste statistics for countries that are embarking on this type of data gathering for the first time.