Conjunto de indicadores de economía circular sostenible para la gestión de fin de vida de aparatos eléctricos y electrónicos, caso de estudio Ecuador

Abstract

WEEE management is currently a topic of growing worldwide relevance. WEEE is one of the fastest growing waste streams, with an estimated annual generation of 2 million tons. This waste, classified as hazardous due to the presence of toxic elements, also has a notable potential for circularity and recovery. In Ecuador, WEEE management has increased relevance in recent years. Currently, the country has a specific regulatory framework, with a circular economy approach, which regulates its management and promotes the adoption of recovery strategies. However, significant challenges remain, including the lack of data and indicators to effectively monitor and evaluate the system. This research seeks to respond to this need by establishing a set of sustainable circular economy (SCE) indicators for WEEE management, taking the Ecuadorian context as a reference case. As a first step, a characterization of the WEEE management system in Ecuador is presented, addressing its main aspects, stages and actors involved. Subsequently, through a literature review and the definition of evaluation criteria, relevant circularity indicators are identified and prioritized for the characterized system. Finally, through the application of a pilot in a case study, the main requirements, challenges and benefits offered by the implementation of the proposed set of indicators are explored.