G-TREES is a non-profit corporation established to promote a responsible management model for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) in Ecuador. The organization aims to ensure that this waste receives proper treatment from the moment it ceases to function, preventing it from ending up in informal landfills or contaminating the environment. Through its transparent and sustainable approach, G-TREES has become a national reference in WEEE management and a strategic ally for various social, public, and private stakeholders.
The central objective of G-TREES is to transform WEEE management into a development opportunity for the country. This means that beyond preventing the environmental pollution caused by electronic waste, the goal is to leverage it as a valuable resource to generate employment, foster new value chains, and contribute to the circular economy. In this way, the corporation’s work has a triple impact: environmental, by protecting ecosystems; economic, by stimulating recycling and material recovery sectors; and social, by strengthening communities through the inclusion of recyclers and citizen participation.
WEEE is the acronym for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), referring to all electrical or electronic devices that have reached the end of their useful life or no longer function properly. This category includes products such as computers, cell phones, televisions, refrigerators, microwaves, printers, and many other everyday appliances. These wastes require special handling because they contain hazardous materials that can harm health and the environment, but also components that, when recycled, can be reintroduced into production processes, creating new economic opportunities.
G-TREES operates as a Collective System under Ministerial Agreement 067, which establishes guidelines for producers and distributors of electrical and electronic devices to take responsibility for the final destination of the products they place on the market. This legal framework allows WEEE management to be carried out in an organized manner, under the principles of extended producer responsibility, and with controls that ensure collection, treatment, and disposal processes meet environmental and social standards.
The management of WEEE is a complex task that requires collaboration across multiple sectors, which is why G-TREES works closely with various stakeholders. These include producers of electrical and electronic devices, who must comply with extended producer responsibility regulations; local governments, which support the implementation of collection points and public education campaigns; recyclers, who play a fundamental role in sorting and material recovery; academia, which contributes research and technical solutions; and, of course, the general public, whose responsible decisions when disposing of their equipment make it possible to close the sustainable management cycle.
Proper management of WEEE brings multiple benefits. Environmentally, it reduces pollution caused by heavy metals and hazardous chemicals present in this waste, thereby protecting the health of ecosystems and people. Economically, recycling and material recovery promote the creation of new jobs, support small and medium recycling enterprises, and strengthen the circular economy model. Finally, socially, it promotes the inclusion of grassroots recyclers, fosters citizen responsibility, and builds a culture of sustainability within communities.