Waste compensation: Closing the Loop of electronics' lifecycle
Proven Business Model: Closing the Loop (CTL) greens ICT procurement while tackling the global issue of electronic waste. For a small fee it makes the purchase of new ICT equipment by organisations more sustainable (waste compensation). It collects and organises shipment and responsible recycling of end-of-life devices on behalf of its customers. The material retrieved in the e-waste recycling process is fed into new lifecycles.
Informal sector: CTL closely works with its long-term collection networks in Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, etc). CTL pays its collectors for the scrap devices that are bought and for storing/keeping track of administration. Furthermore, it provides regular training.
Reducing e-waste by leveraging the power of the market: The conventional practice of waste collection in Extended Producer Responsibility schemes is rare or non-existent in developing countries. CTL’s customers, mostly medium- to large enterprises but also governments, pay a fee per product bought.
High ethical standards: The e-waste collection and all related processes are achieved in a fully legal and responsible way, in compliance with several environmental standards and permits.
Closing the Loop:
- developed a closed-loop solution for scrap mobile phones that can be upscaled to other e-waste such as batteries, tablets, screens, beamers
- shipped about 3 million phones from Africa to Europe for responsible and sustainable recycling
- built a trusted network of ~ 2000 people, providing employment and income
- facilitated the first legal scrap battery waste shipment from West Africa ever
- part of several Agreements and Alliances such as the IRBC Responsible Gold Agreement, PREVENT Waste Alliance
- Approved Collector for TCO certified Edge, e-waste compensated, a certification programme to combat e-waste
- won the “Doing Business in Africa” Award in 2019 as well as the award for the most circular company in the Netherlands in 2018.