The University of São Paulo has begun to recycle electronic waste, creating a center, known as CEDIR, which has started in-house with the university's own obsolete devices of information technology. Next month, CEDIR will begin taking in electronic waste from the community in general, professor Tereza Brito de Carvalho, project coordinator, told Tierramérica.

“We will only accept materials from individuals,” through a system of ongoing communication, she said.

There are three stages in the process: selection, identification of usable equipment to be donated to civil society organizations; categorization, separating the plastic and metal components; and delivery of the materials to recycling companies.

E-waste can contain toxic elements, such as lead, cadmium and mercury that can contaminate water supplies or cause cancer, said the professor. The project also aims to prevent untrained people from being exposed to the toxins.