Mexico’s e-sector needs to play catch-up

Latin America – Mexico generates some 358 000 tonnes of e-scrap every year while only 10% is recycled, according to Amparo Martinez, director of the country’s National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change.

Martinez warns that Mexico’s e-scrap volumes will increase in the coming years – especially in the north of the country where production and demand have seen a peak. However, the urban infrastructure does not encourage citizens to recycle or support take-back schemes.

According to Martinez, several proposals were made during a recent forum to set up a system for charging consumers for their e-scrap, with payments to be distributed among those parties active in the sector. The public and industry ‘must accept their responsibility’ in helping to realise the obvious benefits of recycling. Martinez cites creating greater social incentives for Mexico’s industry as a good starting point.