César Mourão and the electronic waste

ERP Portugal and LG Portugal once again set the stage for Electrical and Electronic Waste, this time through podcasts with the main entities in the sector to raise awareness and alert the Portuguese to the e-waste problem

The modern era and digital evolution have been contributing to a society increasingly dependent on the consumption of technology, proportionally increasing electronic waste. Year after year, Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is an issue with serious environmental, social and economic consequences, especially when only 15 to 20% of this “waste” produced is recycled or properly disposed of.

Part of the problem is related to the population lack of knowledge about what we should or should not do with our WEEE, where they should be sent, what are the impacts on daily life, on companies, on retailers, on the environment and even in each one's wallet – these are some of the doubts that plague the citizen and that will be debated in the four e-Waste Talks conducted by the presenter and comedian César Mourão.

“I admit it: I'm an absolute layman in this matter and who ends up suffering is the toaster I've had at home for years, which doesn't have the second life that it so deserves. So when ERP Portugal and LG Portugal challenged me to join the e-Waste Talks, I didn't hesitate. In addition to being a project I believe in, especially considering the impact and importance of the topic for society and the environment, it is a unique opportunity to learn and inform the Portuguese with the help of real experts in the sector", says César Mourão.

And this was precisely the starting point for the e-Waste Talks creation, carried out by a group of guests that allow us to characterize the national panorama on e-waste management:

• Rosa Monforte and Ricardo Neto, General Manager and President of ERP Portugal, respectively, who talk about the Compliance Scheme role in promoting sustainable behavior throughout the WEEE management flow;
• Hugo Jorge, Marketing Manager of LG Portugal, with testimony about the company's strong commitment to Sustainability: from global to local;
• Gonçalo Lobo Xavier, General Manager of the Portuguese Association of Distribution Companies (APED), representative of the retail sector and the importance of the distribution channel as a promoter of a more correct citizens/consumers behavior;
• Nuno Lacasta, President of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), closes the cycle with a macro and holistic perspective on WEEE management, providing a clear picture of the current panorama of electronic waste in the country.

"Given the apparent and worrying lack of knowledge of the population in relation to WEEE, we have joined forces with LG Portugal to simplify the issue and mobilize citizens for their active participation in the process of delivering and recycling this waste", says Ricardo Neto, ERP Portugal President.

“As a producer of electrical and electronic equipment, at LG we believe it is our responsibility to challenge society to rethink its attitude towards electronic waste at a global level, a mission that we have effectively developed at a national level with the partnership and projects that we have been coming to be developed with ERP Portugal. Now, it is time to intensify our efforts to educate the population about this problem, in order to change behavior and generate a truly positive impact in  this waste management”, stresses Hugo Jorge, Marketing Manager of LG Portugal.

Available from today on ERP Portugal and LG Portugal YouTube channels, the e-Waste Talks presented by César Mourão will thus shed new light on how Portuguese citizens and consumers can deal with mobile phones that do not there is an arrangement, with the lamps that have blown or with the obsolete toaster that insist on being kept at home.

On October 26th, the 2nd edition of the e-Waste Summit – Reality and Challenges will take place, an event focused on the  WEEE management issue in Portugal, which will bring together several experts in the sector and will feature César Mourão as host and presenter.