E-waste (electronic waste) is any discarded electrical or electronic equipment — such as computers, servers, phones, network equipment and printers. Companies must recycle it through licensed recyclers because it contains hazardous substances and valuable materials, and because retired devices often still hold confidential data.
Definition
E-waste is electrical and electronic equipment that has reached the end of its useful life or is no longer needed. For companies, it typically includes:
- Desktops, laptops and monitors
- Servers, storage systems and network equipment
- Telecom equipment
- Printers, copiers and office electronics
- Circuit boards and electronic components from production
Why e-waste needs special handling
- Hazardous substances – electronics contain materials that are harmful if dumped or burned.
- Valuable materials – they also contain copper and precious metals that can be recovered and returned to the economy.
- Data risk – storage devices keep data even after files are deleted.
- Legal duty – Egypt’s Waste Management Regulation Law No. 202 of 2020 requires waste to be handled through licensed channels.
What responsible e-waste recycling looks like
- Collection from the company’s sites with documentation
- Physical destruction of storage media
- Dismantling and sorting by material
- Processing to recover materials safely
- Certificates for the company’s records
E-waste and ESG
Recycling e-waste through a certified partner gives companies measurable figures — tonnes recycled and emissions avoided — for their sustainability and ESG reporting. EERC’s operations, for example, have recycled more than 5,840 tonnes of e-waste and avoided an estimated 6,595 tonnes of CO₂ emissions since 2016.