Electrical And Electronic Equipment Research Articles

Challenges And Perspectives Of Electrical And Electronic Equipment Waste Management In The Republic Of Guinea

Most developing countries face enormous challenges in implementing sustainable waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) management systems. Informal WEEE management practices in the Republic of Guinea have become a major challenge for the government and various stakeholders due to their impacts on the environment and health. The review article presents a close link between the WEEE and household solid waste (HSW) management system in Guinea, based on legislative and policy documents, research studies and reports published by national and international organizations, Directives and Conventions, and Ministry decrees. The article discusses topics such as the legal and regulatory framework, the current situation of HSW management and WEEE, the flow of the Guinean market for electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), and a strategic year of sustainable WEEE management in Guinea. The study results indicate that the country lacks effective strategies covering all stages of the product life cycle, particularly at the end of life. Economic and financial limitations are the important obstacles to WEEE formalization. Establishing resourced environmental government agencies for effective monitoring and auditing and appropriate sustainable WEEE management practices is the most important way forward.

Comprehensive inventory of imports of electrical and electronic equipment and related plastics and POPs plastic additives into Nigeria in the past 32 years (1990–2022)

The global management of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and related plastics, and the persistent organic pollutants (POPs) contained in it constitute a global challenge in particular for low-income countries in Africa where monitoring capacity and waste management infrastructure are lacking. While plastic recycling is highlighted as an important part of the solution to plastic pollution, such recycling is threatened by the presence of POPs. Overall, there is a lack of data on POPs in (W)EEE plastics with the exception of PBDEs. The objective of this study was to analyse the overall imports of (W)EEE into Nigeria and estimate the associated amount of plastics and POPs for better planning and management of WEEE plastics. This study assessed all EEE importation categories and compiled the importations of 28 EEE product groups with the highest importation, covering more than 98 % of officially imported EEE based on the United Nations Comtrade Database using harmonized system (HS) codes. The impact factors of POPs and plastic from the UNEP inventory guidance were used for the estimates. Overall, 4568 kilo-tonnes (kt) of EEE were officialy imported between 1990 and 2022 containing 1337 kt of plastic. If considering also the estimated imported WEEE and EEE not covered in the Comtrade statistics, the total imported (W)EEE is estimated to 12,259 kt including 3644 kt of plastics and an estimated 1043 t of hexaBDE/heptaBDE and 8511 t of DecaBDE as major POP additives, and lower levels of 154 t of HBCD, 91 t of SCCPs, 364 t of MCCP, and 146 t of Dechlorane Plus. The study is the first estimate of all major POPs in (W)EEE plastics in a low-income country and provides important information for their management.

Methodology and Database for the Quantification of the Technical Recyclability of Electrical and Electronical Equipment Demonstrated on a Smartphone Case Study

Assessing a given product’s design and its recyclability using mass flow analysis based on the material separation and recovery rates of individual recycling processes under realistic conditions can support design decisions promoting better recyclability. EN 45555 defines the calculation of the technical recyclability of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). However, the lack of specific recycling rates for material or processes often leads to either too small or too high recyclability values. Herein, an extensive database of such recycling rates is presented. Moreover, the quality of recycling is considered. The typical classification into “recycled” and “lost” is expanded into four categories, namely “circular”, “recycled”, “alternate material recovery” and “lost”. The recycling rate database includes yields for all four categories and covers 30 materials for 14 recycling processes relevant in waste EEE (WEEE) treatment. These data enable a detailed calculation of the recyclability of various EEE for multiple recycling scenarios covering the entire WEEE recycling chain. Fraunhofer IZM performed an internal critical review of the data. The recycling rates database can act as a solid foundation for comparing the recyclability of various electronics in different scenarios and recyclability indices. For example, the recyclability of typical smartphones is investigated comparing different dismantling and recycling scenarios highlighting the potential of both database and methodology.

E-Waste Management Practices Through the Eyes of Responsible Departments at Malaysian Public Universities

Electronic and electrical waste (E-waste) has been identified as the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. In Malaysia, forecasts indicate that it will soon reach 24.5 million units of e-waste by the year 2025. Today, higher learning institutions also contribute to the rapidly growing threat of e-waste. Besides mobile phones, the usage of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment at universities keeps increasing and contributes to the increased quantity of e-waste, while the handling and disposal methods of e-waste still need to be improved. The purpose of this paper is to examine the current e-waste management system as well as to investigate the critical challenges constraining e-waste management at public universities in Malaysia. By using a qualitative approach, a number of interview sessions have been conducted with the responsible departments at six established public universities in Malaysia. It has been found that currently only e-waste generated from used electric and electronic equipment (EEE) which have been declared as university assets are being managed by the responsible departments at the six universities. All six universities are using the standard process of handling their e-waste since every single process needs to comply with the requirements of the Ministry of Finance (MOF). This remains the main constraint to flexibility or improvement of the current system. The universities are also facing some challenges, among others, lack of awareness and knowledge on how to properly handle e-waste among university citizens, no clear sustainable policy at the university, lack of facilities within the university compound to support the proper practice of e-waste disposal as well as lack of education and related training provided to the campus citizens. This paper also provides some recommendations for the improvement of e-waste management towards sustainability and offers an agenda for future research.

INNOVATIVE BUSINESS MODELS IN THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY: AN ANALYSIS OF GOOD PRACTICES FOR ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT ON THE EUROPEAN CIRCULAR ECONOMY STAKEHOLDER PLATFORM

The pervasive integration of electronic technologies in the contemporary digital landscape underscores the significance of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). Beyond their utility in daily life, certain components within EEE, hold classification as critical raw materials (CRMs) and transforms cities into urban mines. This issue highlights the necessity of optimizing its sustainable consumption and production patterns at all stages of the life cycle and across various sectors. The optimization of the complete product life cycle serves as a foundational pillar of the circular economy (CE). While the transition from a linear to a CE has been a longstanding objective promoted by the EU, a comprehensive mapping elucidating potential shortcoming in the effective implementation of this transition in Europe for the field of EEE remains elusive. This paper seeks to investigate the state-of-the-art of CE good practices for EEEs in Europe, shedding light on potential strengths and challenges to be addressed. To obtain an empirical perspective, the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP) serves as a tool to delineate the trajectory of progress throughout the transition to a CE. The analysis encompasses both life cycle phases and the production sector. The findings underscore a prevailing focus on the product's end-of-life phase and sectors associated with recycling and waste management, while the initial life cycle phase remains underexplored in terms of eco-design solutions or innovative processes. On a positive note, several instances of new business models have emerged, redirecting consumption emphasis towards services.

Environmental perspective of the recycling system for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)

The production of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) is one of the fastest growing global manufacturing activities. At the same time this also means that the amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) will continue to increase in the coming decades. The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness in the broad plane of the problem of electrical and electronic waste in our country. Specifically, this study tries to inform the public, experts and protective policy makers about the volume and dangerousness of waste, increasing the financial impact on local government and taxpayers. However, there are conventional methods for waste disposal, these methods have economic and environmental disadvantages. Recycling is a new management option. This paper offers an overview of electrical and e-waste recycling, including a description of how it is generated and classified, strategies and technologies for recovering materials. Completing European standards in this field, analyzing all stages of the recycling process: collection, classification, processing and benefit of new materials, is also part of the analysis in this paper.

Biomarker responses in Danio rerio following an acute exposure (96 h) to e-waste leachate

Electronic waste (e-waste) has been identified as an emerging pollutant and is the fastest growing waste stream at the present time. Significant technological development and modernization within the last decade has led to the rapid accumulation of outdated, broken and unwanted electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). Electronic products mainly consist of a range of metal containing components that, when disposed of improperly, could result in metal constituents leached into the environment and posing a health risk to humans and animals alike. Metal exposure can induce oxidative stress in organisms, which could lead to synergistic, antagonistic and additive effects. The metals found highest in abundance in the simulated e-waste leachate, were nickel (Ni), barium (Ba), zinc (Zn), lithium (Li), iron (Fe), aluminium (Al) and copper (Cu). An acute exposure study was conducted over a 96 h period to determine the potential toxicity of e-waste on the test organism Danio rerio. Biomarker analysis results to assess the biochemical and physiological effects induced by e-waste leachate, showed a statistically significant effect induced on acetylcholinesterase activity, superoxide dismutase, catalase activity, reduced glutathione content, glutathione s-transferase, malondialdehyde and glucose energy available. The Integrated Biomarker Response (IBRv2) analysis revealed a greater biomarker response induced as the exposure concentration of e-waste leachate increased.

Development of complete hydrometallurgical processes for gold recovery from ICs and CPUs using ionic liquids

Integrated circuits (ICs) and central processing units (CPUs), essential components of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), are complex composite materials rich in recyclable high-value strategic and critical metals, with many in concentrations higher than in their natural ores. With gold the most valuable metal present, increase in demand for gold for EEE and its limited availability have led to a steep rise in the market price of gold, making gold recycling a high priority to meet demand. To overcome the limitations associated with conventional technologies for recycling e-waste, the use of greener technologies (ionic liquids (ILs) as leaching agents), offers greater potential for the recovery of gold from e-waste components. While previous studies have demonstrated the efficiency and feasibility of using ILs for gold recovery, these works predominantly concentrate on the extraction stage and often utilise simulated solutions, lacking the implementation of a complete process validated with real samples to effectively assess its overall effectiveness. In this work, a simulated Model Test System was used to determine the optimal leaching and extraction conditions before application to real samples. With copper being the most abundant metal in the e-waste fractions, to access the gold necessitated a two-stage pre-treatment (nitric acid leaching followed by aqua regia leaching) to ensure complete removal of copper and deliver a gold-enriched leach liquor. Gold extraction from the leach liquor was achieved by liquid-liquid extraction using Cyphos 101 (0.1 M in toluene with an O:A = 1:1, 20 °C, 150 rpm, and 15 min) and as a second process by sorption extraction with loaded resins (Amberlite XAD-7 with 300 mg of Cyphos 101/g of resins at 20 °C, 150 rpm and 3 h). In both processes, complete stripping and desorption of gold was achieved (0.5 M thiourea in 0.5 M HCl) and gold recovered, as nanoparticles of purity ≥95%, via a reduction step using a sodium borohydride solution (0.1 M NaBH4 in 0.1 M NaOH). These two hydrometallurgical processes developed can achieve overall efficiencies of ≥95% for gold recovery from real e-waste components, permit the reuse of the IL and resins up to five consecutive times, and offer a promising approach for recovery from any e-waste stream rich in gold.

Inventory and management of E-waste: a case study of Kerala, India.

The recent surge in electronic device usage has led to a notable rise in electronic waste (E-waste) generation, presenting significant environmental challenges. This study aims to quantify Kerala's E-waste inventory and formulate a comprehensive management plan. Utilizing sales data from 2017 to 2020 and estimating E-waste generation based on "average" or "end-of-life" durations of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) items, the analysis forecasts substantial E-waste quantities. Key assumptions include correlating sales data with E-waste generation and utilizing guidelines for estimating E-waste quantities based on EEE item types and sales figures. The highest E-waste generation is predicted for the years 2028-2029, estimated at 97,541 tonnes, which iscrucial for the state's management strategy. To address this challenge, the study proposes a comprehensive environmental management plan that integrates the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle (3R) into its core strategies. The plan includes establishing 78 collection units across the state, strategically allocated based on theTaluk (a sub-division of a district) population, to ensure efficient E-waste collection and recovery of reusable items. Additionally, the study outlines the need for 273 recycling units statewide, with Malappuram district requiring the most units due to its high population density. The plan emphasizes efficient E-waste collection, segregation, and recycling, promoting responsible consumption and resource conservation. The study furnishes a "cradle-to-grave" framework for the management of E-waste at local, regional, and national levels, serving as a valuable resource for pollution control boards, regulatory bodies, statutory bodies, and research organizations alike.

Analysis and prediction on carbon emissions from electrical and electronic equipment industry in China

This research employs the IPCC methodology to assess carbon emissions from China's Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) industry for 2012–2020, utilizing the GM (1) model to predict emissions for the next decade. Six scenarios evaluate emissions, guiding strategies for reduction. Key findings reveal the usage phase as the highest emitter, while WEEE dismantling incurs the lowest. In 2020, emissions from production, sales, transportation, usage, recycling transportation, dismantling, and recycling were projected. Scrapping imported EEE from 2012 to 2020 results in 1.88 million tons of emissions. Projected 2030 emissions, under current policies or low-carbon measures, are 136 million tons and 72 million tons, respectively. Urgent actions, especially in Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and stakeholder roles, are essential. The study advocates for consumer awareness on energy conservation and reducing dependence on imported products. Manufacturing emissions highlight the need for eco-design, emphasizing sustainable practices. Recycling and dismantling phases also contribute emissions, necessitating optimized routes and advanced technologies. In addition, the study explores the potential for carbon reduction by incorporating the organic combination of carbon trading markets, evaluating the carbon emission reduction potential of recycling enterprises. The proposal suggests replacing government subsidies with the sale of carbon credits, not only to stimulate companies to actively promote green dismantling but also to address the current inadequacy of subsidies. Establishing a comprehensive life cycle management system is crucial to minimizing the EEE industry's carbon footprint and promoting a sustainable future.

The potential impact of the new ‘Right to Repair’ rules on electrical and electronic equipment waste: A case study of the UK

Every year an estimated two million tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) are discarded by householders and companies in the United Kingdom (UK). While the UK has left the European Union (EU), its waste-related policies still mirror those of the EU, including the WEEE-related policies. Motivated by the recent introduction the so-called ‘Right to Repair’ policy for electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) across the EU and UK, this paper aims to demonstrate that, depending on the commitment and behavioural changes by the consumers and the government, the future of the WEEE management of the UK will vary. To this end, focusing on landfilled WEEE reduction we develop a generic system dynamics model and apply it to eleven WEEE categories. They depict the flow of EEE and WEEE representing the interaction among the stakeholders (e.g., consumers and producers of EEE) and relevant government regulations of the UK. Our four scenario analyses find that longer use of EEE and better WEEE collection seem to be effective in reducing landfilled WEEE, while more reuse and more recycling and recovery have negligible impacts, despite excluding the additional generation of landfilled WEEE as a result of recycling and recovery. Comparing with the business-as-usual scenario, one year longer EEE use and 10% more of WEEE collection could at maximum reduce landfilled WEEE by 14.05% of monitoring and control instruments and 93.93% of display equipment respectively. Backcasting scenario analyses reveal that significant efforts are required to reduce the targeted amounts.

Repair and Reuse or Recycle: What Is Best for Small WEEE in Australia?

The global and Australian trends indicate a steady increase in the generation of small waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), constituting 30% of global WEEE in 2019 with an expected 90% increase in Australia over the next 25 years. Given this fact, identifying the most suitable circular economy strategy is vital in managing this waste stream. Hence, followed by a review of the literature, a model was developed to assess the suitability of repair, reuse, and recycling of small electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) by considering the lifespan and products put on the market (PoM) as critical variables. Findings indicate that solely repairing and reusing products, without reducing PoM small EEE, minimally affects short-term waste reduction. A synergistic approach, combining high product reuse with reduced PoM small EEE, is essential to decrease small WEEE generation significantly. Regardless of lifespan changes, the study indicates a proportional relationship between small WEEE generation rates and PoM small EEE changes, emphasising the need for a holistic strategy. Considering this, within stewardship schemes, the primary focus should initially lie on repairing and repurposing small EEE, with the potential for expansion into recycling once sufficient infrastructure and achievable recovery goals are established. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) must shoulder substantial accountability, with a firm commitment to extended producer responsibility (EPR) even for historical products. The initial rollout could target four specific categories: toys, food preparation equipment, vacuum cleaners, and household tools, with the scope widening to encompass all categories following successful implementation.

Strategies for Transitioning to Sustainable E-Waste Management Systems Globally, Regionally and Nationally

The quantity of electronic waste generated globally is rising rapidly as a result of advanced technology, over reliance, and the use of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) beyond comprehension. The rapid technological advancements has resulted in a reduced lifespan of EEE resulting in enormous amounts of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). It is well recognized that EEE contains complex metallic and non-metallic components that, if improperly managed, can seriously disrupt the environment and endanger the survival of life. The majority of industrialized nations possess advanced methods for managing e-waste, well-defined system boundaries, technological expertise, strict legislation, appropriate recycling facilities, and trade with emerging and impoverished countries. However, because of a number of issues and a dearth of pertinent policies, the situation in emerging nations is different. WEEE are handled in developing nations by using a variety of low-end methods, including product reuse, traditional landfill disposal, open burning, and rudimentary "backyard" recycling. The bulk of developing and less developed countries lack the necessary legislation, gaps in policy formulation, socioeconomic and cultural hurdles, technology, and treatment facilities. The main issues affecting Guyana's management include absence of legislation, safe options for treatment and disposal, and inadequate inventory of data. The strategic interventions that are essential for sustainable e-waste management include urban mining, embracing the concept of a circular economy, fortifying existing laws and regulations, investing in adequate facilities for handling all waste streams and coordination and cooperation among all of the key stakeholders.

Sustainability Criteria and Practices in Electro-Electronic Purchases by Ifect In the Northern Brazil Region

Objective: this study aims to verify the adoption of sustainable rating criteria and practices in the acquisitions of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) from the Federal Institutes of Education, Science and Technology (IFECT) in the north of Brazil. Theoretical Reference: The work is based on sustainable public acquisitions as an inducer of sustainable development, through the adoption of sustainability rating criteria and practices in acquisitions of public institutions. Method: This research was characterized as exploratory and has used a qualitative approach, to verify the adoption of rating criteria and sustainable practices in the acquisition of EEE from the IFECT, through a documental analysis in the documents of the planning phase of the acquisitions. Results and conclusion: data analysis revealed that the adoption of sustainability rating criteria and practices in IFECTs EEEs acquisitions is still very unsatisfactory. However, it showed a slight improvement between 2018 and 2021 and demonstrated that some IFECTs have more consolidated hiring plans. However, the need for improvements in all IFECTs, especially IFAM and IFPA. Implication of the research: the research makes explicit, through its results, the need to identify the factors that hinder the adoption of sustainability rating criteria and practices in public procurement, as well as the need for advances in this field. Originality/value: the research sought to demonstrate the important role and impact that public acquisitions has on sustainable development, in addition to the need to advance in the actions taken so that public sustainability policies are effective in procurement processes.

Facilitating circularity: challenges and design guidelines of Product-as-a-Service (PaaS) business model offers for electrical and electronic equipment

The move towards a circular economy brings a range of practical challenges for product and service designers that will need to facilitate this transformation from a linear take-make-dispose model to a more circular model. The concept of Product-as-a-Service (PaaS) emerges as an innovative business model capable of catalyzing this fundamental shift. In a PaaS context, any product will be used by several different customers during its lifetime through different operational methodologies and value delivery mechanisms, so incorporating circularity into both product and service design is pivotal for the establishment of more sustainable product-service systems. To facilitate circularity, it is imperative to be able to close loops in the current PaaS offerings by the development of reuse, refurbishment, repair, remanufacturing, and recycling. However, different challenges arise from each of them, which translate into different design guidelines. With the help of the literature and through a cooperative ERA-MIN project, different expert partners provided their insights on the proposed PaaS offering for electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). The objective of this paper is to present the main challenges and describe the design guidelines derived from them.

An exploratory study for product-as-a-service (PaaS) offers development for electrical and electronic equipment

Manufacturing enterprises continue to grapple with transforming from their existing business model, which revolves around designing and selling tangible products, to business models centered on providing a blend of products and services. Product-as-a-Service (PaaS) emerges as a business strategy capable of catalyzing the shift toward higher levels of circularity. However, effecting changes in operational methodologies and value delivery mechanisms is imperative, consequently prompting modifications in the core business strategies of these companies. The objective of this study is to discern and categorize prevailing PaaS business models for electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). The Business Model Canvas (BMC) is introduced as a foundational tool to facilitate this transition, emphasizing the central role of the value proposition within the business model. Additionally, the study underscores the importance of robust take-back systems and repairability in PaaS implementation, particularly within the EEE sector. It highlights the need for novel partnerships, redesigned reverse logistics networks, and efficient product assessment methods to facilitate environmentally responsible decisions. Furthermore, the research evaluates the financial implications of PaaS adoption through Life Cycle Costing (LCC), emphasizing its value in predicting and addressing temporary financial complications, thereby ensuring a smoother transition to service-oriented business models.

Assessment of the maturity of product-as-a-service business models for household appliances from the perspective of R strategies in Circular Economy

Product-as-a-service (PaaS) is an example of a circular business model which is currently promoted by the European Commission, as one of the main drivers towards transition to Circular Economy. The current policy prioritizes products with high circularity potential, as for example Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE), to improve product durability, reusability, upgradability, and reparability. PaaS models are emerging in consumer markets, but their circularity is often not fully explored. To overcome this limitation, we propose a new approach to assess PaaS business models from the perspective of R strategies, such as remanufacturing, refurbishment, or repair. The model is designed based on the literature review, the opinions of industry experts, and secondary and primary case studies. The available offers for PaaS of household appliances for B2C are analyzed, with particular emphasis on the implemented elements of the R strategies. The results show that the potential of PaaS models with regard to their circularity has not yet been fully exploited.

A novel reinforcement learning framework for disassembly sequence planning using Q-learning technique optimized using an enhanced simulated annealing algorithm

Abstract The increase in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) usage in various sectors has given rise to repair and maintenance units. Disassembly of parts requires proper planning, which is done by the Disassembly Sequence Planning (DSP) process. Since the manual disassembly process has various time and labor restrictions, it requires proper planning. Effective disassembly planning methods can encourage the reuse and recycling sector, resulting in reduction of raw-materials mining. An efficient DSP can lower the time and cost consumption. To address the challenges in DSP, this research introduces an innovative framework based on Q-Learning (QL) within the domain of Reinforcement Learning (RL). Furthermore, an Enhanced Simulated Annealing (ESA) algorithm is introduced to improve the exploration and exploitation balance in the proposed RL framework. The proposed framework is extensively evaluated against state-of-the-art frameworks and benchmark algorithms using a diverse set of eight products as test cases. The findings reveal that the proposed framework outperforms benchmark algorithms and state-of-the-art frameworks in terms of time consumption, memory consumption, and solution optimality. Specifically, for complex large products, the proposed technique achieves a remarkable minimum reduction of 60% in time consumption and 30% in memory usage compared to other state-of-the-art techniques. Additionally, qualitative analysis demonstrates that the proposed approach generates sequences with high fitness values, indicating more stable and less time-consuming disassembles. The utilization of this framework allows for the realization of various real-world disassembly applications, thereby making a significant contribution to sustainable practices in EEE industries.

Contradictory relationship between efficiency and renewable energy under breakeven point: Optimal selection of electrical and electronic equipment

The increasing demand for electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), particularly air conditioning (ACs), has caused a significant increase in energy demand. Improvements in energy efficiency increase material and carbon footprints under the production stage owing to the additional use of resources. Higher energy-efficiency models need to compensate for this rise before EEE reaches the end of its lifespan. Thus, the timing of offsetting, named breakeven point (BEP), was analyzed between two models of ACs manufactured in Japan with different energy efficiencies in this study, considering material and carbon footprints based on different lifestyles. Through the analysis, a contradictory relationship between energy efficiency and renewable energy was quantitatively identified; that is, the improvement of energy efficiency leads to a lower BEP, while the increase in renewable energy leads to a higher BEP. When the share of renewable energy in the energy mix reaches more than 40 % in the case of material footprint, the choice of low-efficiency appliances would be even preferable considering the lifespan of EEE and lifestyle. The developed concept contributes to optimal selection among different EEE efficiency from an environmental perspective.

Electronic Waste Taking Over the Globe: An Overview of the Law in Malaysia, India, China and the United Kingdom

The rapid growth of the global market for electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) has resulted in an alarming increase in electronic waste (e-waste). E-waste, which comprises discarded electrical and electronic devices, poses severe environmental and health risks due to improper disposal and treatment. Many electronic devices contain hazardous materials that can leach into the environment, contaminating soil, water, and air. This paper explores the e-waste situation in Malaysia, India, China, and the United Kingdom, along with the laws and regulations governing e-waste in these countries respectively. While some countries have implemented adequate laws, compliance, and enforcement remain significant challenges. Encouraging extended producer responsibility (EPR), ensuring compliance with laws, and investing in recycling infrastructure are proposed as effective strategies for managing e-waste. To tackle this global problem, governments, industries, and individuals must collaborate, raise public awareness, and promote sustainable practices to build a circular economy for electronic products. By taking collective action, we can protect the environment and create a cleaner and greener future.