Lisbon – Within the activities of the meetMED II project (Mitigation Enabling Energy Transition in the Mediterranean Region), funded by the European Union, a “Professional Training Course on the Implementation of Appliances Scrapping” took place in Lisbon from 01- 03 July 2024. The event was organised in close collaboration with ADENE – Agency for Energy and Electrão.

The three-day training aimed at enriching national policymakers and key stakeholders representing project beneficiary countries with practical knowledge about the EU experience and expertise of E-waste management and recycling industry.

Throughout the first day, the technical session hosted by Electrão—one of the key drivers of E-waste recycling in Portugal—focused on the importance of recycling systems based on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in the face of environmental challenges and the need to secure essential raw materials for the energy transition in Europe. This significance was underscored by the intervention of the WEEE Forum (International Association of Electronic Waste Producer Responsibility Organisations), which highlighted the “European regulations and policies in appliance scrapping and e-waste.”

During the second and third days, participants had the opportunity to visit three leading electric waste sorting and recycling plants in Portugal. These included the Electrão warehouse, where used electrical equipment for recycling is stored and batteries are sorted; Ambigroup, which specializes in best practices for recycling refrigerators; and Veolia Portugal, one of the world leaders in the treatment, recycling, and recovery of hazardous waste.