REVERSE LOGISTICS: A COMPARISON OF ELECTRONIC WASTE RECYCLING BETWEEN SWITZERLAND AND EGYPT

The adoption of green supply chain management and reverse logistics present an opportunity for
global electronic manufacturing stakeholders within the supply chains to competently respond to the
escalating expectation of the international community for resources conservation and to achieve
environmental performance profitably. Thus, the useful life of consumer electronic devices is
relatively short, and decreasing as a result of rapid changes in equipment features and capabilities.
This creates a large waste stream of obsolete electronic equipment, electronic waste (e-waste). It is
comprised of discarded mobile phones, computers, television sets, batteries, microwave ovens and
other similar appliances that are past their useful lives. E-waste became as one of the most
significant objectives for companies to achieve efficient and effective supply chain performance. In
addition, countries are being forced to develop new models for the collection and environmentally
sound disposal of this waste. Switzerland is one of the very few countries with over a decade of
experience in managing e-waste. Egypt, on the other hand, is only now experiencing the problems
that e-waste poses. This paper aims at giving a comprehensive insight into the disposal of end-of-life
appliances in both countries, including appliance collection and the financing of recycling systems as
well as the social and environmental aspects of the current practices.