The publication is a study and a survey of 303 informal waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) collectors in Georgia, and an assessment of their capacities and needs. 

Key findings of the survey:

• 24% of respondents are registered in the waste management database of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia waste.moe.gov.ge.
• 76% of interviewed collectors process collected waste: cars account for 41% processed waste; small telecommunication appliances - 37% (only 6% of collected waste is small telecommunication appliances); iron and ferro-alloys – 20%, refrigeration and air conditioning devices– 20%.
• Average size of the collection point is 509m²
• Only 23% of collection points have some kind of the processing machinery in their possession; 75% does not possess any transportation means.
• 59% of respondents do consider that their work may have any potential hazard. Main work-related hazards named by respondents are injuries (28%) and impact from dust (21%).
• Workers at 76% of interviewed waste collection points did not wear any personal protective equipment at the time of the survey. 
• Personnel protective equipment observed at the 23% of interviewed collection points includes: gloves (93%), protective clothing (33%), helmet (29%), and glasses (26%).
• Only 10% of personnel working at collection points have undergone special training.
• 50% of respondents would be willing to take training, 37% - are not interested or do not have time.
• 65% of collection points process and separate waste without any special equipment, only 16% uses both – equipment and workforce
• 79% of waste generated at the collection points are disposed at landfills, 5% - is burned, 9% stored at temporary storage.
• 34% collection points indicated that they produce hazardous waste, 25% of them store hazardous waste at the specially designated place within the collection point, 18% - at the landfill allocated by the municipality.
• Only 11% of interviewed collection points have a waste management plan.  

The research is prepared by the non-governmental organization “GEO – Georgia’s Environmental Outlook” with assistance from UNDP and the Government of Sweden.