Disposal Of Waste Electrical And Electronic Equipment Research Articles

Leveraging Social Media to Gauge Public Opinion on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Management

In recent years, the rapid advancement of technology has led to a significant increase in the global use of electrical and electronic devices. This has resulted in a surge in the generation of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), a critical component of the complex solid waste management process. Since consumers play a major role in generating WEEE, understanding their perspectives on WEEE disposal is essential for developing effective management strategies. This study employs a combined approach utilizing quantitative methods, such as the analysis of 2,905,579 Twitter tweets collected from May 2019 to April 2022, and the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) technique, to identify appropriate end-of-life (EOL) options for WEEE. While there have been numerous studies on factors influencing consumer participation in WEEE disposal programs, no prior research has focused on identifying suitable EOL options for WEEE. A review of the literature revealed that factors such as ease of access to recycling centers, awareness, distrust in governments, financial incentives, charitable contributions, and concerns about data disclosure influence consumers’ decisions to participate in WEEE disposal programs. Additionally, four EOL options, namely re-use, remanufacturing, recycling, and disposal, were suggested for these products. Subsequently, the FAHP technique was used to examine the relationships between these options, and a suitable EOL option was recommended for each factor. The findings of this research can serve as a valuable tool in the WEEE management process, aiding in the development of effective strategies for WEEE disposal and contributing to a more sustainable approach to handling electronic waste.

Tripartite evolutionary game analysis of governance mechanism in Chinese WEEE recycling industry

The rapidly increase in waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) poses challenges to the government to manage the WEEE recycling industry. In order to better understand and improve the governance mechanism in the WEEE recycling industry, taking China as an example, we construct a tripartite evolutionary game model consisting of the manufacturer, the collector, and the government by underscoring product eco-design and qualified disassembly. First, we obtain the evolutionary stability strategy (ESS) by calculating the replicator dynamic equation and the stability analysis of equilibrium points. Then, we examine the feasibility and rationality of the evolutionary game model by analyzing ESSs corresponding to different stages of the WEEE recycling industry. Finally, we explore the ramifications of the governance mechanism on the behaviors of the manufacturer’s product eco-design and the collector’s qualified disassembly through a numerical example. We find that the evolutionary game model exists eleven equilibrium points and six possible ESSs, and the choice of each ESS depends mainly on the trade-off between costs and revenues for each stakeholder. Through the numerical study, we observe that the current Chinese WEEE governance mechanism is not effective. We also observe that the manufacturer’s willingness to implement product eco-design is decreasing in the tax rate but increasing in the environmental tex, and the collector’s willingness to recycle WEEE through a compliance process is increasing in both the subsidy and the penalty. We suggest that the government focuses on improving the reward-penalty mechanism, establishing appropriate WEEE disposal fund levy and subsidy standards, and removing informal collectors to promote the healthy development of WEEE recycling industry.

A Review on Global E-Waste Management: Urban Mining towards a Sustainable Future and Circular Economy

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.

Handling trace elements in WEEE recycling through copper smelting-an experimental and thermodynamic study

Recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is attracting increasing attention, due to the presence of valuable metals and the risk of environmental emissions associated with WEEE disposal. In this study, the distributions of trace elements (Ag, Ni, Co, and Sn) between copper alloy and magnetite/wüstite-saturated iron silicate slags were investigated at 1200–1300 °C and PO2 of 10-10-10-6.5 atm, simulating the conditions of WEEE reprocessing through secondary copper smelting and converting. The high-temperature isothermal equilibration experiments were conducted in synthesized magnetite/wüstite crucibles under controlled CO-CO2 atmospheres followed by quenching in an ice-water mixture. The phase compositions and concentrations of the trace elements in copper alloy, magnetite/wüstite, and slag were determined by Electron Probe X-ray Microanalysis and Laser Ablation-High-Resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry. The distribution coefficients of all investigated trace elements between copper alloy and slag increased with decreasing oxygen partial pressure and increasing temperature. Ag distributed strongly into the copper alloy at all conditions, whereas Co mainly deported into the slag phase. Ni and Sn were concentrated in the alloy at lower PO2 and in the slag at higher PO2. Varying concentrations of Ni, Co, and Sn were also dissolved into the solid magnetite/wüstite phase.

Bioleaching metals from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) by Aspergillus niger: a review.

In the twenty-first century, the increasing demand for electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) has caused its quick update and the shortening of its service life span. As a consequence, a large number of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) needs to be processed and recycled. As an environmentally friendly method, biometallurgy has received extensive attention in the disposal of WEEE in recent years. Aspergillus niger is an acid-producing fungus with a potential applicability to improve metals' recycling efficiency. This review article describes the latest statistical status of WEEE and presents the latest progress of various metallurgical methods involved in WEEE recycling for metal recovery. Moreover, based on the summary and comparison towards studies have been reported for bioleaching metals from WEEE by A. niger, the bioleaching mechanisms and the bioleaching methods are explained, as well as the effects of process parameters on the performance of the bioleaching process are also discussed. Some insights and perspectives are provided for A. niger to be applied to industrial processing scale.

Economic and climate impacts from the incorrect disposal of WEEE

This study focused on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) that is incorrectly disposed of in residual waste bins. An analysis of public behaviour, motivation and general knowledge on WEEE management was undertaken in Southampton, England. All respondents were members of the People's Panel run by Southampton City Council. The potential monetary value that could be secured via the resale of WEEE that could be repaired was estimated. The value was calculated for three scenarios – low, middle and high for the years 2020, 2025 and 2030. Carbon footprints were calculated for four disposal routes to enable a comparison of the three scenarios. Analysis of the survey shows that respondents’ knowledge about WEEE management is deficient. The survey results highlighted a high level of confusion regarding correct identification and management of WEEE and a perception that collection services are inconvenient. The incorrect disposal of WEEE is costly; the potential resale value of WEEE disposed of in UK residual waste bins could be as much as £196–215 million by 2030. Reducing the quantity of WEEE entering UK landfills, including WEEE incorrectly disposed via the residual waste stream, via reuse and recycling could allow total emission reductions of between 312 and 344 Mt CO2e by 2030. Incinerating WEEE also leads to carbon savings, however at the cost of losing recyclable materials and critical metals. The correct capture of this waste stream would therefore generate significant economic, environmental and resource benefits nationally and globally. The study has also highlighted the crucial need for raising public awareness about WEEE management and indicated that kerbside collection services for WEEE would probably be beneficial and popular.

Electronic Waste Generation Prediction in Bandung City, Indonesia

Abstract Nowadays waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) generation is increasing due to the increase in the number of users and the development of electronic products. In Indonesia, there are no specific regulations about WEEE even though it is identified as hazardous and toxic waste. This study aims to predict the WEEE generation from the most used and replaced electronic products by citizens of Bandung City. The data is collected by surveying 400 families in Bandung City. Based on the survey results, there are three types of electronic products that are most used and replaced by citizens of Bandung City, which are mobile phones, laptops and televisions. The Delay Model is modified by replacing the lifespan variable with end-of-life to project the mobile phones, laptops and televisions waste generation in Bandung City. The purpose of this modification is to adjust the pattern of electronic products used in developing countries. The projection results state that Bandung City will generate 0.61 tons/day of mobile phones, 8.66 tons/day of laptops and 3.16 tons/day of televisions at the end of 2020. Based on the results of the projection, WEEE management and recycling is important which can reduce WEEE disposal and increase the economic value of WEEE.

Young consumers’ e-waste awareness, consumption, disposal, and recycling behavior: A case study of university students in Sydney, Australia

In this study, young consumers, especially university students’ awareness, perception, and disposal patterns for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), were measured using a questionnaire survey in Sydney, Australia. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to understand the consumer behavior of e-waste, focusing on educated young generation in an urban setting. Besides, descriptive analysis, statistical analysis was performed to identify correlation among variables, such as reasons for disposing of equipment, hoarding (storage), and disposal behavior. The lifespan of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), when possessed by young consumers, was also investigated. The results of the study showed that although the consumers were aware of what electronic waste (e-waste) is, there is a severe lack of knowledge regarding collection points and current recycling programs, such as the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS). Furthermore, it was also found that most respondents were inclined to sound e-waste disposal, indicating that awareness programs are essential to avoid the incorrect disposal of WEEE. Reasons for disposal and frequency of new product purchases were positively associated with the household income. Mean possession lifespan (in years) across our respondents was 6.21 for television sets, 4.31 for laptop computers and 5.47 for desktop computers. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers developing sustainable e-waste management strategies among young consumers in Australia.

A decision model for competitive remanufacturing systems considering technology licensing and product quality strategies

Abstract Fast maturation and obsolescence of electronics have caused the accumulation of untreated Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), which results in environmental issues around the globe. Accordingly, remanufacturing systems have been developed to recover or perform proper disposal of WEEE. Over the decades, remanufacturing has continuously grown and has attracted customers' interest in reprocessed products, hence, inducing the competition of the said market. For a remanufacturer to gain a competitive advantage in the market, it is necessary to optimize both operational and managerial aspects comprehensively. Therefore, this study aims to model the competition between independent remanufacturer player's (IR) supply chain systems that integrate these two aspects. First, IR's supply chain system operational decisions involving multi-period-horizon and multi-process production planning, product flow, and product purchasing and takeback will be formulated into a mixed integer linear model. Lastly, IRs' supply chain system compete with each other in a perfect-market-competition game model that considers technology licensing and product quality strategies. Results from numerical examples show that royalty licensing is the better technology licensing strategy compared to fixed-fee licensing strategy in terms of costs. In addition, selling remanufactured products, which are of higher quality, yield less profit than selling refurbished products. However, remanufactured products are less susceptible to product value depreciation and price changes over time, therefore, generating more stable income in different conditions. With the fast-paced technological development, the proposed model could address complex remanufacturing supply chain problems, offering decision-makers a tool in optimizing the remanufacturing system.

Investigating the reasons for storage of WEEE by residents – A potential for removal from households

Some categories of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) escape legal methods of disposal. The waste stream intended for recycling is sometimes disrupted because of the stockpiling of end of life (EOL) equipment in households. In some cases this equipment may be non-functional or broken but it is kept by the individuals. It is usually equipment of small dimensions that is involved in these instances.The main purpose of this study is to identify the reasons that individuals stockpile EOL equipment. A behavioural model of WEEE disposal by household individuals is proposed and tested with a survey. Results from questionnaires show the differences in behaviour for individual categories of WEEE included in the survey conducted in Poland.The results show the significance of education, age, gender and type of residence on behavioural patterns relating to disposal of waste equipment. The most likely to be stockpiled are computer accessories and other information technology equipment, comprising above 60% of responses, and mobile phones, being above 80% of responses. The most frequent reason for stockpiling is intended possible use of the equipment in the future. The results of this research can be used in campaigns aimed at increasing household awareness against stockpiling.

Greenhouse gas emission offsetting by refrigerant recovery from WEEE: A case study on a WEEE recycling plant in Korea

The demand for new electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) has resulted in short replacement cycles for this equipment. This has led to the generation of a large amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The proper disposal of WEEE is essential in order to manage greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as refrigerant injected EEE is a potential source of GHG emissions. In this study, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from recycling activities that resulted in GHG emissions via refrigerant recovery were quantitatively evaluated. The evaluation was conducted based on the operational data from a WEEE recycling plant in 2016. To estimate CO2 emission and offsetting effects, mass-balance and carbon-footprint analyses were conducted. The mass-balance data showed that 22,804 t of WEEE were recycled in a plant. The carbon-footprint analysis estimated that CO2 emissions from all recycling activities, including all machinery and vehicles as well as fossil fuel and electricity use, reached approximately 4.097 × 103 tonne of CO2 eq. Meanwhile, the CO2 emissions prevented by the manual recovery of refrigerants (5186 kg) from WEEE accounted for approximately 2.877 × 104 tonne of CO2 eq. These results, based on data from a recycling plant and showing an offset of CO2 emissions by a factor of 7.02, demonstrate that refrigerant recovery could potentially reduce emissions by 2.467 × 104 tonne of CO2 eq. per year. This study will demonstrate the optimal methodologies for estimating CO2 emissions and offsetting, and inform environmental policy by providing an alternative approach to the problem of global warming.

Generation of domestic waste electrical and electronic equipment on Fernando de Noronha Island: qualitative and quantitative aspects.

The accelerated growth trajectory of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is a matter of concern for governments worldwide. In developing countries, the problem is more complex because municipal waste management is still a challenge for municipalities. Fernando de Noronha Island, an environmentally protected area, has a transfer station for solid waste before it is sent to the final destination abroad, which is different waste management model to most urban areas. In order to check the specifics of management of WEEE, this study aimed to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the generation of this type of waste on the main island of Fernando de Noronha, taking into consideration aspects related to consumption habits and handling of waste. During the in situ research, a questionnaire was applied to a sample of 83 households. The results provide a picture of the generation of WEEE for a period of 1year, when a production of 1.3 tons of WEEE was estimated. Relationships between education level and monthly income and between education level and number of plasma/LCD TVs and washing machines were confirmed. Another important result is that only two socioeconomic variables (monthly income and education level) are related to two recycling behavior variables. In addition, the population and government treat WEEE as ordinary waste, ignoring its contaminant potential. Despite the existence of relevant legislation concerning the treatment and disposal of WEEE, additional efforts will be required by the government in order to properly manage this type of waste on the island.

High-quality collection and disposal of WEEE: Environmental impacts and resultant issues

Life cycle assessment of the collection, transport and recycling of various types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) in Norway shows that small amounts of critical materials (refrigerants, precious/trace metals) are vital for the overall environmental accounts of the value chains. High-quality recycling ensures that materials and energy are effectively recovered from WEEE. This recovery means that responsible waste handling confers net environmental benefits in terms of global warming potential (GWP), for all types of WEEE analysed. For refrigeration equipment, the potential reduction of GWP by high-quality recycling is so large as to be of national significance. For all waste types, the magnitude of the net benefit from recovering materials and energy exceeds the negative consequences of irresponsible disposal. One outcome of this may be widespread misunderstanding of the need for recycling. Furthermore, framing public communication on recycling in terms of avoiding negative consequences, as is essentially universal, may not convey an appropriate message. The issue is particularly important where the consumer regards products as relatively disposable and environmentally benign, and/or where the “null option” of retaining the product at end-of-life is especially prevalent. The paper highlights the implications of all these issues for policy-makers, waste collectors and recyclers, and consumers.

Modeling the Effects of Hong Kong WEEE Management Policies on Retailers, Customers and the Government

To reduce the illegal disposal of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), the Hong Kong Government considers four regulation policies: (i) Base policy; (ii) Advance recycling fee (ARF) 1 policy; (iii) ARF 2 policy; (iv) Take back policy. This paper studies how these policies change the product pricing, the sales and the profit of the retailers, the amount of illegal WEEE disposal and the investment of the Government in the WEEE collection centers. The problems are formulated as nonlinear programming problems and the properties of the optimal solutions are investigated. The analysis result indicates that the Take back policy dominates the other three policies, with respect to the retailer’s sales, the amount of illegal WEEE disposal and the investment of the Government. Thus the Take back policy should be adopted to regulate the disposal of WEEE in Hong Kong.

A Mini-Review on Disposal of WEEE Plastics Containing PBDEs with a Special Focus on China

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), especially pentaBDE and decaBDE have been extensively used as flame retardants in plastics of most electronic equipment. However, PBDE congeners have been found in the environment, in wildlife and in human body worldwide with evidences that they pose risks both to human health and to the entire ecosystem. China has become an important pentaBDE and decaBDE production country because of the increasing domestic demand due to rapid development of electronic industry in recent years. Although pentaBDE was phased out in 2004, decaBDE still remains in production and is used in electrical industry. Additionally, large amounts of plastics containing these pollutants from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) are generated in China each year and their disposal has been a vital environmental challenge. Machaniclal recycling, fedlock recycling and landfilling are three main means of disposal of WEEE plastics. This article reviews the production of PBDEs, the amounts of WEEE and the disposal of WEEE plastics worldwide, with a special focus on China. The state of the emission of PBDEs and highly toxic polybrominated dibenzo dioxins/furans in the process of disposal is summed up based on previous studies. This article recommends that mechanical recycling should be the main means of disposal of WEEE recycling with regards to the summaries, the current practices and the status in China.

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) management in Korea: generation, collection, and recycling systems

In Korea, generation of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), or electronic waste (e-waste), has rapidly increased in recent years. The management of WEEE has become a major issue of concern for solid waste communities due to the volumes of waste being generated and the potential environmental impacts associated with the toxic chemicals found in most electronic devices. Special attention must be paid when dealing with WEEE because of toxic materials that it contains (e.g., heavy metals, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, phthalates, and polyvinyl chloride). If managed improperly, the disposal of WEEE can adversely affect the environment and human health. Environmental regulatory agencies; electronic equipment manufacturers, retailers, and recyclers; environmental nongovernmental organizations; and many others are much interested in updated statistics with regard to how much WEEE is generated, stored, recycled, and disposed of. In Korea, an extended producer responsibility policy was introduced in 2003 not only to reduce the amount of electronic products requiring disposal, but also to promote resource recovery from WEEE; the policy currently applies to a total of ten electrical and electronic product categories. This article presents an overview of the current recycling practices and management of electrical and electronic waste in Korea. Specifically, the generation rates, recycling systems and processes, and recent regulations of WEEE are discussed. We estimated that 1 263 000 refrigerators, 701 000 washing machines, 1 181 000 televisions, and 109 000 airconditioning units were retired and handled by the WEEE management system in 2006. More than 40% of the products were collected and recycled by producers. Four major producers’ recycling centers and other WEEE recycling facilities are currently in operation, and these process a large faction of WEEE for the recovery of valuable materials. Much attention should still be paid to pollution prevention and resource conservation with respect to WEEE. Several suggestions are made in order to deal with electronic waste management problems effectively and to prevent potential impacts.

A competing risks approach for time estimation of household WEEE disposal

The recent growth in the number of electrical and electronic devices is viewed as one the priority waste streams in European Union waste management policy. This paper presents the findings of a survey to study domestic habits with respect to Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) in Spain. A specific problem when performing this estimation arises from the fact that consumers quite often store old appliances at home when they are no longer used. Focusing on four different types of appliance, survival analysis (SA) is used to study both the usage span and the reasons for no longer using each device. The time that the discarded products were kept at home before being disposed of was studied using competing risks (CR) analysis. The results of the analysis provide information on the distribution of the studied variables for the different outcomes as well as the influence exerted by the socio-demographic variables considered. Relations between these characteristics and the storage time of the appliances before disposal emerge based on survey data. For instance, the CR model finds that the storage time of the some appliances (i.e. refrigerator) is related to these social-demographics factors. However, other appliances (i.e. microwave oven) are less influenced by these factors. The attitude and motivation of the respondents to the survey as regards the End-of-Life of appliances were also analysed. A majority of respondents do not store discarded appliances at home. The first reason for storing appliances at home is the possibility of it being useful in the future and the second that the respondents did not know what to do with them.

Household recycling behaviour and attitudes towards the disposal of small electrical and electronic equipment

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is recognised as the fastest growing waste stream in the European Union (EU), with estimates of up to 20 kg per person per annum. A wide variety of WEEE is discarded by consumers, often in different ways depending on size with small items (e.g. toasters) being easier to dispose of than larger ones (e.g. washing machines). Currently, small WEEE is not treated as a priority waste stream in the UK as in order to meet targets under the WEEE Directive 2 2 Directive 2002/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 January 2003 on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Published in OJ L 37/24, 13.2.2003. Brussels: Commission of the European Communities. ( CEC, 2003c) it makes more sense to focus on larger items for which collection, reuse and recycling systems already exist, but small items need to be tackled for a number of reasons, including the long term strategic development of infrastructure. In light of this, the paper will assess consumer attitudes towards the disposal of small WEEE, and identify key problems raised by the implementation of the WEEE Directive in relation to these small product groups. The findings from a large scale postal questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews conducted in Cardiff, Wales will be used, and key literature and research carried out to date on the disposal of WEEE, and household attitudes to waste and recycling will be assessed. It will also look at how the implementation of the WEEE Directive ‘fits in’ with the current transition in the UK towards more sustainable waste management practices at the household level, and then explore the most effective ways of engaging householders in the recycling of small WEEE. Key recommendations will then be outlined concerning the future strategic development and practical implementation of the WEEE Directive in relation to consumer involvement and small product types.