uPOPCI
Sound Management of Unintentional POPs and PBDEs in Côte d’Ivoire’s Industrial Waste Sector
The project “Sound management of unintentional persistent organic pollutants (u-POPs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) to reduce their emission from the industrial waste sector” in Cote d’Ivoire (uPOPCI) aims at establishing a system for the environmentally sound management of PBDEs and the final disposal of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) contaminated with PBDEs.
DURATION: 2020 – 2026
SCOPE: Republic of Côte d’Ivoire
FOCUS AREA: Resource recovery
FUNDED BY: Global Environment Facility (GEF)
The Challenge: Managing WEEE and ELV Waste
In Côte d’Ivoire, the waste streams of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) are a growing environmental and health concern. These wastes are not sufficiently regulated in the country and are largely handled by the informal sector, which is primarily interested only in the valuable fractions of the waste. These wastes are often mixed with, or disposed of together with, other (non-)toxic waste streams instead of being properly dismantled into recyclable and non-recyclable fractions, stored, and disposed of safely.
Plastics in WEEE and ELV often contain persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and other brominated flame retardants (BFRs). They are toxic chemicals that remain in the environment for long periods, accumulate in living organisms, and pose serious risks to human health and ecosystems. Mixing waste streams, open burning, or improper recycling or reuse of plastic parts containing PBDEs to reduce waste volumes or extract valuable materials (such as gold or copper) can lead to the release of unintentional POPs (u-POPs) into the environment.
The objective of this project is to establish the sound management system of unintentional POPs (uPOPs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and final disposal of possibly PBDE-contaminated Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equiment (WEEE) and End of Life Vehicles (ELV).
Project Scope
The scope of WRF focuses on strengthening national capacities for the sound management of PBDEs and reducing unintentional emissions of POPs, while also supporting the development of commercially viable activities based on environmentally sound plastic management. WRF contributes technical expertise to upgrade processes, infrastructure, and institutional capabilities for handling POPs-containing plastics safely, ensuring compliance with international environmental standards. WRF plays a key role in fostering market-oriented solutions that promote the recycling and recovery of plastics in a responsible manner, thereby enabling sustainable business opportunities within the waste value chain. These combined efforts position WRF as both a technical and strategic partner in achieving safer, more circular, and commercially feasible plastic management in Côte d’Ivoire.
The main pillars in which WRF is involved are:
Training and Testing
Organising trainings, field sampling, and laboratory analysis to strengthen national capacity for testing and controlling POPs in plastics.
Business Development
Our Work
Assessment of the potential market for WEEE and ELV recycled plastics in Côte d’Ivoire
