Predicting the Recycling Potential and Evaluating the Environmental Benefits of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei

Abstract

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE or e-waste) is a significant urban mine in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. A comprehensive and systematic assessment of the amount of e-waste generated in the region and the resources and environmental benefits of e-waste recycling can provide scientific basis and methods to support collaborative and accurate management of e-waste in the region to solve resource and environmental problems. Based on the improved ownership coefficient method, material coefficient method, market value method, and pollution coefficient method, this study predicted and evaluated the recycling potential and environmental benefits of e-waste in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei from 2010 to 2025 by estimating the production, amount of recyclable resources, resource recycling value, and environmental benefits of waste televisions, refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, and computers (five major e-wastes). The results show that the amount of five major e-wastes will increase continuously from 2010 to 2025, with an annual average growth rate of 7.75% during the period of 2010 to 2018, and it is expected to increase at 3.07% after that. In 2025, the amount of the five major e-wastes in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei will reach 1861.74×104 units, with recycling of ordinary metal, plastic, and precious metal to 27.19×104, 12.75×104, and 19.45 tons, respectively. From 2019 to 2025, the economic value of recycling waste air conditioners and computers will be relatively higher than that of other e-wastes. The sum of the economic value of waste air conditioners and computers is 77.22% of the total annual recycling value. The economic value contribution ratios of copper and gold are 43.37% and 19.82%, respectively, which are significantly higher than that of other resources. It is estimated that the total value of resource recovery in 2025 will reach 5.02 billion yuan, which is 3.13 times that in 2010. Among them, the recovery values of common metals, precious metals, and plastics will be 2.87, 1.33, and 0.83 billion yuan, respectively. If all the five major e-wastes generated in 2025 are recycled in a standardized way, it will reduce the exploitation of primary ores by 913.23×104 tons, the utilization of standard coal by 122.71×104 tons, the emission of waste water, waste gas, waste residue, and heavy metals by 1231.19×104, 473.89×104, 785.10×104, and 6.08×104 tons, respectively, and the emission of greenhouse gases by 32.92×104 tons CO2-eq. Waste air conditioners have the greatest recycling potential, but the recycling capacity of waste air conditioners in processing enterprises needs to be improved urgently. To effectively exploit e-waste in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the fund subsidy system should be improved as soon as possible, the supervision and management of informal dismantling departments should be strengthened, and a regional information sharing platform should be established to realize regional collaborative management of e-waste throughout its life cycle.