This week, the Principality tackles electronic waste
Monaco is taking part for the seventh consecutive year in the EWWR, held from 22 to 30 November © Monaco Tribune
As every year, Monaco is launching a new edition of the European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) with a programme focused on electrical and electronic equipment.
The figures are staggering. Waste electrical and electronic equipment amounts to 62 million tonnes worldwide. Each European produces 17.6 kilos per year. Telephones, computers, fridges, light bulbs, electric bikes and e-cigarettes: all these devices eventually become WEEE, the acronym used for end-of-life equipment. The European Commission chose to make this the central theme of the 2025 edition for a simple reason: only 22.3% of this waste is officially collected and recycled. An 82% increase has been observed since 2010, with projections indicating a further 32% rise by 2030.
Processing the waste remains complex and costly due to the hazardous substances it contains, such as mercury and lead, but it also holds precious metals like gold, copper and platinum. Faced with the surge in discarded electrical and electronic equipment, the Principality is focusing on awareness-raising and reuse from 22 to 30 November.
Monaco mobilises all stakeholders
The Environment Department has brought together all Monegasque stakeholders: public institutions, private companies and charities are rallying around the three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
- A collection point for small WEEE will be accessible 24/7 outside the Fontvieille Shopping Centre throughout the week, in partnership with SMA and the charity Semeurs d’Espoir. Residents will be able to drop off mobile phones, tablets, earbuds, cables and chargers.
- Monaco Green Box will deploy reusable bins in participating shops to collect electronic equipment. The company will handle recovery and transport to sorting centres. A quiz and an awareness guide on responsible WEEE management will be available on the Your Monaco app in partnership with the Delegation for Digital Transition.
- This Tuesday, the Oceanographic Institute is organising a special day called “Repair is Fair” for schoolchildren in the Principality. Collège Charles III, Institution François d’Assise Nicolas Barré, the International School of Monaco and Lycée Rainier III will take part in the first-of-its-kind initiative.
- Stands run by Monaco Digital, Monaco Telecom, Nike Monaco, the Société des Bains de Mer, the Columbus, the Méridien and the Cardio-Thoracic Centre will address, in an engaging way, issues relating to digital technology, repairing electronic equipment, fast fashion with customised trainers and clothing, natural cosmetics and zero-waste cooking.
- The Police Department will raise awareness among young people about the dangers of the internet and cyberbullying.
- SMA will run workshops on waste categorisation and the 3R strategy.
- Ecoscience Provence will lead an upcycling workshop allowing participants to create objects from recovered materials.
A varied programme for the general public
On Wednesday 26 November, SMA is organising an interactive treasure hunt called “Mission : A la recherche du Cœur Électro/ Mission: In Search of the Electro Heart” in partnership with Monaco Town Council and Monaco Telecom. Participants must find five elements to bring the Electro Heart back to life through puzzles raising awareness of sorting and recycling. Registration is free and the event starts from Place du Canton at 1:30 pm and 3 pm.
On Thursday, an SMA mobile mini-waste collection point will gather non-standard household waste at three locations in the Principality: Place du Campanin in Fontvieille from 8:30 am to 11 am, Allée Saint-Jean-Paul II on the Rock from 11:30 am to 2 pm, and Boulevard Albert I in La Condamine from 2:30 pm to 5 pm.
On Saturday, Monaco Town Council will host a Munegu Repair Café at the Digital House from 2 pm to 5 pm. Volunteers from the Cagnes-sur-Mer Repair Café will repair everyday items free of charge to reduce digital waste.
Finally, on Friday, Lycée Rainier III will set up a stall in front of the school from 9 am to 3 pm to sell handmade Christmas products created by pupils from the hospitality section and packaged in recycled glass jars.