Abstract
The trending need for smarter electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) is surging globally by the year and is giving rise to huge amounts of outdated EEE going into landfills. This has caused enormous threats to our environment and the health of living beings due to its unsustainable ways of collection, treatment and disposal of waste EEE or E-waste. With increasing E-waste, the formal sectors lack infrastructure, technology and expertise required to collect and process the E-waste in an environmentally sound manner. This article is intended to bring out the global best practices in the field of E-waste management, to shed light on the importance of policy implementation, technology requirement and social awareness to arrive at a sustainable and circular economy. Although about 71% of the world’s populace has incorporated E-waste legislation, there is a need to enforce and implement a common legal framework across the globe. The article explains the gap created among the stakeholders and their knowledge on the roles and responsibilities towards a legalized E-waste management. It further explains the lack of awareness on extended producer responsibility (EPR) and producer responsibility schemes. Despite various legislations in force, numerous illegal practices such as acid leaching, open incineration, illegal dumping carried out by the informal sector are causing harm to the environment, natural resources and the safety of unorganized and unskilled labor. The article discusses the crucial need for awareness amongst stakeholders, consumer behavior and the global challenges and opportunities in this field to achieve a low-carbon, circular economy. To conclude, the article highlights the importance of common legal framework, EPR and licenses, transformation of the informal sector, benchmark technologies, responsibilities of various stakeholders and entrepreneurial opportunities to enhance the formal capacity. The article wholly advocates for transparency, accountability and traceability in the E-waste recycling chain, thus creating a greener environment and protecting our planet and natural resources for future generations.
Highlights
Electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) has turned out to be the most vital accessory to our everyday life
The COVID-19 pandemic had an explicit effect on our use of electronics and digital solutions, with people relying on electronics to keep them connected with co-workers, healthcare professionals, family and social life
The COVID-19 pandemic had an explicit effect on our use of electronics and digital towards the prolonged use of artificial intelligence (AI) resulted in privacy infringements, solutions, with people relying on electronics to keep them connected with co-workers, lack of physical activity, health concerns and lack of social interactions
Summary
Electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) has turned out to be the most vital accessory to our everyday life. The COVID-19 pandemic had an explicit effect on our use of electronics and digital solutions, with people relying on electronics to keep them connected with co-workers, healthcare professionals, family and social life. They are able to access learning, and on the other hand, they are exposed to the trends of social media and online gaming and its ill effects [2,3,4]. The COVID-19 pandemic had an explicit effect on our use of electronics and digital towards the prolonged use of artificial intelligence (AI) resulted in privacy infringements, solutions, with people relying on electronics to keep them connected with co-workers, lack of physical activity, health concerns and lack of social interactions. Children using smartphones for online education hasE-Waste had its own pros and and Value cons.
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