Chapter 11 - E-waste policies, regulation and legislation in developed and developing countries

Abstract

Legislations concerning E-waste management is one of the significant contributor toward the sustainable handling and management of E-waste in developed and developing countries. In 2019 around 71% of the world’s population was covered by E-waste legislation, policy, and regulations. However, only 78 of the 193 countries have adopted the regulations and legislation of E-waste in 2019, which was 61 in 2014. In developed countries, the policies of E-waste management are stringent and well organized, whereas most of the developing countries lack legislation, have less stakeholders’ involvement and issues of illegal movement of E-waste. This chapter describes the current policies, regulations, and legislation of different countries. It also discusses the policies based on the concept of extended producer responsibility, polluter pay principle, and advanced recycling fee, all of which play a significant role in E-waste management. Further, this chapter outlines the efforts of key stakeholders towards e-waste management, such as producers, consumers, government, collectors, municipalities, recyclers, and retailers who are responsible for implementing the E-waste policies in developed and developing nations.