Electronic Waste Management Research Articles

Electronic Waste Management Practices and Its Extent of Implementation: A Case of an Academic Institution

The increase of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) electronic wastes and electronic products depends on the technology upgrading and obsolescence rates in the equipment. It can be assumed that the disposal of electronic equipment is driven by the production of new technological development. This descriptive study assessed the electronic waste management practices and extent of implementation of e-waste management. Data on the practices on e-waste disposal was collected using a researcher-made questionnaire, with Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) end-users of ICT serving as respondents. Findings showed that e-waste management was practiced only by a few and that processing techniques were only partially implemented. This revelation strengthens the need to implement the best practices and processing techniques in the handling and disposal of electronics waste.

Desafios à gestão de resíduos eletroeletrônicos em conformidades aos requisitos legais: estudo em uma Instituição Federal de Ensino Superior do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

As Instituições Federais de Educação Superior (IFES) brasileiras encontram grande dificuldade na gestão e, especialmente, no descarte de resíduos eletroeletrônicos de suas instalações. O presente estudo propõe uma análise qualitativa sobre o atual modelo de gestão de resíduos eletroeletrônicos em uma IFES situada no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, com o objetivo de oferecer um diagnóstico acurado sobre essa problemática na instituição referida. Em termos metodológicos, o estudo fundamenta-se na literatura técnico-científica relacionada à gestão de resíduos sólidos, além dos dispositivos normativos e legais aplicáveis às IFES, notadamente a Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos (PNRS Lei 12.305/2010) e o Decreto Nº 5.940/2006. Como resultados, o estudo oferece uma reflexão acadêmica sobre o acúmulo dos resíduos eletroeletrônicos na IFES, além de suas causas estruturais, normativas e históricas, destacando a relevância da pluralização da discussão sobre a Lei 12.305/2010, além da necessidade de empoderamento de comissões para o tratamento e a gestão da situação deflagrada.

Ecological foraging models as inspiration for optimized recycling systems in the circular economy

Converting the consumer electronic product system from a linear system to a circular one has a number of key challenges. A mismatch is observed between the rapidly changing devices entering the market and the slowly evolving voluntary design policies, regulations, and e-waste processing business strategies. Conventional electronic waste (e-waste) management systems were historically optimized to extract high-value components from large products that were relatively easy to disassemble, but the products now entering the waste stream are more often light-weight mobile devices that are typically not covered by regulations or do not contain as high a concentration of valuable metals. This article proposes that transformations in the e-waste processing system aimed at closing the material loop should look to the circular processes found in natural ecosystems, which have evolved to optimize closed loop nutrient cycling. Like species in nature, e-waste processors make decisions about where and what to “eat,” balancing a food’s quality and abundance with the energy expended in obtaining it. Adapting the concept of optimal foraging theory, we demonstrate here a conceptual framework that draws parallels between foraging behavior in the ecological and industrial world, evaluates four potential mathematical models that case be applied to the e-waste case, and demonstrate how optimal foraging decisions can guide business, design, and end of life management toward circular economy goals in the consumer electronic system.

Optimizing Green Computing Awareness for Environmental Sustainability and Economic Security as a Stochastic Optimization Problem

The role of automation in sustainable development is not in doubt. Computerization in particular has permeated every facet of human endeavour, enhancing the provision of information for decision-making that reduces cost of operation, promotes productivity and socioeconomic prosperity and cohesion. Hence, a new field called information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) has emerged. Nonetheless, the need to ensure environmentally friendly computing has led to this research study with particular focus on green computing in Africa. This is against the backdrop that the continent is feared to suffer most from the vulnerability of climate change and the impact of environmental risk. Using Nigeria as a test case, this paper gauges the green computing awareness level of Africans via sample survey. It also attempts to institutionalize green computing maturity model with a view to optimizing the level of citizens awareness amid inherent uncertainties like low bandwidth, poor network and erratic power in an emerging African market. Consequently, we classified the problem as a stochastic optimization problem and applied metaheuristic search algorithm to determine the best sensitization strategy. Although there are alternative ways of promoting green computing education, the metaheuristic search we conducted indicated that an online real-time solution that not only drives but preserves timely conversations on electronic waste (e-waste) management and energy saving techniques among the citizenry is cutting edge. The authors therefore reviewed literature, gathered requirements, modelled the proposed solution using Universal Modelling Language (UML) and developed a prototype. The proposed solution is a web-based multi-tier e-Green computing system that educates computer users on innovative techniques of managing computers and accessories in an environmentally friendly way. We found out that such a real-time web-based interactive forum does not only stimulate the interest of the common man in environment-related issues, but also raises awareness about the impact his computer-related activities have on mother earth. This way, he willingly becomes part of the solution to environment degradation in his circle of influence.

A study on awareness of Dental students in Electronic Waste Management

A study on awareness of Dental students in Electronic Waste Management

India's E‐Waste Rules and Their Impact on E‐Waste Management Practices: A Case Study

SummaryIndia, like many other developed and developing countries, has adopted an extended producer responsibility (EPR) approach for electronic waste (e‐waste) management under its E‐waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011. Under these rules, producers have been made responsible for setting up collection centers of e‐waste and financing and organizing a system for environmentally sound management of e‐waste. In this article, we use the implementation of these rules in Ahmedabad in western India as a case study to conduct a critical analysis of the implementation of India's Rules. Interviews of main stakeholder groups, including a sample of regulated commercial establishments, regulatory agencies enforcing the Rules, informal actors involved in waste collection and handling, as well as publicly available information on the implementation constitute data for our case study. Our results indicate that while there has been an increase in the formal waste processing capacity after the implementation of the Rules, only 5% to 15% of the total waste generated is likely channeled through formal processing facilities. While the EPR regulation forced the producers to take action on a few relatively inexpensive aspects of the Rules, the collection and recycling system has not been made convenient for the consumers to deposit e‐waste in formal collection and recycling centers. Based on our findings, we argue that Indian EPR regulation should go beyond simple take‐back mandates and consider implementing other policy instruments such as a deposit‐refund system. An important implication for developing countries is the need for careful attention to instrument choice and design within EPR regulations.

Extraction of lead from waste CRT funnel glass by generating lead sulfide – An approach for electronic waste management

Waste cathode ray tube (CRT) funnel glass is the key and difficult points in waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) disposal. In this paper, a novel and effective process for the detoxification and reutilization of waste CRT funnel glass was developed by generating lead sulfide precipitate via a high-temperature melting process. The central function in this process was the generation of lead sulfide, which gathered at the bottom of the crucible and was then separated from the slag. Sodium carbonate was used as a flux and reaction agent, and sodium sulfide was used as a precipitating agent. The experimental results revealed that the lead sulfide recovery rate initially increased with an increase in the amount of added sodium carbonate, the amount of sodium sulfide, the temperature, and the holding time and then reached an equilibrium value. The maximum lead sulfide recovery rate was approximately 93%, at the optimum sodium carbonate level, sodium sulfide level, temperature, and holding time of 25%, 8%, 1200°C, and 2h, respectively. The glass slag can be made into sodium and potassium silicate by hydrolysis in an environmental and economical process.

Electronic Waste Generation and Management in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region: Algeria as a Case Study

AbstractElectronic waste (e‐waste) is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world. Notwithstanding increasing concern worldwide, e‐waste has not yet been discussed in depth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This study first reviews the literature regarding the estimation of e‐waste in the MENA region. It then gives an estimate of the past and future trends in the generation of obsolete computers in Algeria. For this purpose, the study combines two models: the Carnegie Mellon model and the market supply (distribution delay) model. The Carnegie Mellon model offers the following options for obsolete computers and monitors: the device could be reused, stored, or discarded. The amounts of devices falling into each category were determined based on these options. The outcomes from the market supply (distribution delay) model show that high amounts of computer and monitor waste were registered for the period from 2014 to 2016.

Electronic Waste Management: Toxicity and Emerging Challenges in Indian Context

E-waste is posing a serious threat to the life of human being. The rate of emission of toxic pollutants from e-wastes is increasing at alarming rate. Despite the danger signals raised by various research bodies throughout the world, the governments across the globe have failed to handle this emerging issue efficiently. Where, import of used electronic products from developed nations can be cited as one of the major reasons for e-waste generation in India, handling and recycling of e-waste by unorganized recyclers in another issue. This paper attempts to throws a light on the data depicting the increase in rate of e-waste generation; it also discusses various reasons for this increase. At the end, some suggestions to overcome this issue have been given.

Drivers of knowledge accumulation in electronic waste management: An analysis of publication data

The increased number and shorter life cycles of electronic devices are resulting in a rapidly growing stream of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) worldwide. The environmentally sound disposal of this waste stream is a complex activity that involves several steps and stakeholders. The aim of this article is to investigate the process of knowledge creation in WEEE management, based on publications data retrieved from the Thompson Web of Science (WoS). Using a dataset of publications dated between 1985 and 2013, we evaluate the role of three major drivers of knowledge creation: innovation induced by the high price of precious materials; technological advances; and regulatory stringency. Analysis of the global map of science highlights patterns of increased diversification of research domains and an impact of regulation and raw price material on the development of new research in different disciplines. This contributes to the policy debate on how to encourage more research in the field of WEEE management.

Exploring the Awareness Regarding E-waste and its Health Hazards among the Informal Handlers in Musheerabad Area of Hyderabad.

Introduction:Occupational Health hazards of handling and management of electronic waste is a nascent subject. Improper and unscientific handling of e-waste can invite significant human and environmental health risks.Objective:To study the level of awareness about electronic waste and its health hazards amongst informal handlers in Musheerabad, Hyderabad.Methodology:Ethical approval and informed consents were obtained from Institutional Ethical Committee, University of Hyderabad and from the participants respectively before the commencement of study. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in randomly selected twenty-six waste handling centers from sixty of them in the locality. From each of the centers four handlers agedbetween 18 and 45 were randomly selected. Total of 104 handlers were interviewed using semi-structured schedule. Interviews were also conducted among 10 owners of such centres on the waste management practices.Results:About 72% of the handlers did not know the meaning of electronic waste and 71% were not aware of associated health risks, 85% did not use any protective gears, while 16% acknowledged health issues attributed to improper handling of e-waste, 77% felt their handling of e-waste was appropriate. Majority of center owners felt that informal e-waste handling does not pose any health risks, and reported that there was no awareness campaign by any agency as of then.Conclusion:This study highlights the need for awareness campaigns on proper e-waste management practices to ensure occupational safety among the waste handlers who belong to lower socio-economic strata.

Gestión de los residuos de aparatos eléctricos y electrónicos (RAEE) en el municipio de Armenia, Quindío

This proposal is intended as an effort to acknowledge the integrated management of electrical and electronic device waste (WEEE) in the city of Armenia. The digital era has contributed to the development of the industry and society, but this boom, which is reflected on an exponential growth of ICTs (development of new versions and prototypes), has resulted in a reduction of the useful life of products, thus increasing the pressure on the final waste management system. At present, research is in phase I, which entailed conducting a survey regarding post-use among 400 people in order to characterize users. The partial findings demonstrate the need to carry out communication and dissemination initiatives among the stakeholders aiming at increasing the rate of electrical and electronic devices made available through authorized dealers who are also liable in conformance with current applicable regulations. This would lead to reducing the pressure on sanitary landfills and preventing a negative impact on the ecosystem and health of the population in Armenia. At the same time, it would also have a positive impact on the rates of utilization and valuation based on waste disposal by both specialized companies and manufacturers.

Game Theory Applied in the Management of Electric and Electronic Equipment Waste in Brazil

Economic and environmental crises appear to increasingly come from similar exogenous origins, such as market failures, and endogenous sources, such as poor management of scarce natural resources. Notably, the establishment of PNRS (National Policy of Solid Waste) in Brazil led to the development of reverse logistics (RL) practices for various economic sectors, particularly electrical and electronic equipment. This paper focuses on this question and presents a quantitative evaluation of possible economic results that could be obtained using Game Theory in a negotiation between electronic manufacturers and a cooperative of collectors/recyclers of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). This article shows that there is a possibility of eliminating market failures and improving the management of resources to obtain optimal WEEE management through the implementation of Economic Game Theory along with the Coase Theorem. The discussion highlights the importance of choosing WEEE management tools in Brazil, including criteria for potentially negotiating between economic agents associated with waste.

Electronic waste scavenging in sub-Sahara Africa: Implications for electronic waste management

Electronic waste scavenging in sub-Sahara Africa: Implications for electronic waste management

Application of Life Cycle Assessment on Electronic Waste Management: A Review.

Electronic waste is a rich source of both valuable materials and toxic substances. Management of electronic waste is one of the biggest challenges of current worldwide concern. As an effective and prevailing environmental management tool, life cycle assessment can evaluate the environmental performance of electronic waste management activities. Quite a few scientific literatures reporting life cycle assessment of electronic waste management with significant outcomes have been recently published. This paper reviewed the trends, characteristics, research gaps, and challenges of these studies providing detailed information for practitioners involved in electronic waste management. The results showed that life cycle assessment studies were most carried out in Europe, followed by Asia and North America. The research subject of the studies mainly includes monitors, waste printed circuit boards, mobile phones, computers, printers, batteries, toys, dishwashers, and light-emitting diodes. CML was the most widely used life cycle impact assessment method in life cycle assessment studies on electronic waste management, followed by EI99. Furthermore, 40% of the reviewed studies combined with other environmental tools, including life cycle cost, material flow analysis, multi-criteria decision analysis, emergy analysis, and hazard assessment which came to more comprehensive conclusions from different aspects. The research gaps and challenges including uneven distribution of life cycle assessment studies, life cycle impact assessment methods selection, comparison of the results, and uncertainty of the life cycle assessment studies were examined. Although life cycle assessment of electronic waste management facing challenges, their results will play more and more important role in electronic waste management practices.

Skills in the green economy: recycling promises in the UK e‐waste management sector

In advanced economies the ‘greening’ of the economy is widely seen as promising extensive job creation and upskilling, alongside its other benefits. In popular and policy rhetoric, the growing importance of ‘green skills’ is asserted frequently. This study critically examines these claims within the context of the electronic waste management sector in the United Kingdom. Drawing on the cases of a non‐profit organisation and a small private enterprise in North West England, we observe that despite government support for developing skills in e‐waste, both the development and utilisation of skills remain minimal. Critically, the relatively more skill‐intensive process of reuse is substantially less profitable than recycling and resource capture. The study concludes by noting that the expectations from the green economy for high‐quality jobs need to be assessed within the context of similar, misplaced celebrations of previous transformations of work to avoid recycling the same promises.

Investigation of the implementation and effectiveness of electronic waste management in Nigeria

The BASEL Convention, adopted on March 22, 1989 and entered into force on May 5, 1992, was aimed at protecting countries from the dumping of hazardous wastes by controlling their trans-border transportation. Participation has grown over the years to 181 countries (as of April 2016). Transboundary wastes were first introduced into Nigeria following a negotiation worth $100 per month in the 1980s partly as a result of environmental awareness in developed nations. This led the country to be a party to the Convention. External sources of electronic wastes include the increasing numbers of such wastes that continue to get into the country as a result the “digital divide”; these reach their end of life, sometimes more quickly than expected, and the average consumer eventually dumps them alongside municipal wastes. The municipal wastes are usually burnt and toxic pollutants are released into the environment.

GESTÃO DE RESÍDUOS ELETRÔNICOS: ESTUDO DE CASO EM UMA ORGANIZAÇÃO MILITAR DE SÃO GABRIEL/RS

The article deals with the analysis of the disposal of electronic waste in the military organization 13th Mechanized Communications Company and its overall objective to characterize the procedures used in the management of electronic waste. The theoretical framework deals with electronic waste concepts, the situation of waste in Brazil, incorrect disposal of the consequences and possible solutions for final disposal. A case study where the data were collected through direct on-site observation and application of semi-structured interviews with the environmental manager of the organization was held. The research provides understand the reality of the process of managing electronic waste: computers and their peripherals. First we tried to identify which types of electronic waste and the disposal was subsequently analyzed. As a result of research it was found that the organization has a large number of obsolete equipment and is concerned about the proper disposal and, because of this, has a management system. Through the Environmental Management Plan was possible to make the proper disposal of electronic waste, and in 2014 the remains were sent to the Company Químea and this year were directed to deposit the City Hall, where it will be responsible for giving adequate final destination waste.

Comprehensive evaluation of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds in surface soils and river sediments from e-waste-processing sites in a village in northern Vietnam: Heading towards the environmentally sound management of e-waste

The management of electronic waste (e-waste), which can be a source of both useful materials and toxic substances, depending on the processing method, is important for promoting material cycling. In this study, we used the dioxin-responsive chemical-activated luciferase gene expression (DR-CALUX) assay combined with gas chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry to evaluate the levels of dioxin-like compounds in surface soils and river sediments collected in and around an e-waste-processing village in northern Vietnam. The WHO-TEQs (Toxic equivalents) of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (Co-PCBs), and polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PBDD/Fs) in soils collected in January 2012 ranged from 0.29 to 310 pg/g (median 2.9 pg/g, n = 32), and the WHO-TEQs in sediments ranged from 0.96 to 58 pg/g (median 4.4 pg/g, n = 8). Dioxin-like activities (CALUX-TEQs [2,3,7,8-TCDD equivalent]) in soils collected in January 2012, 2013, and 2014 ranged from <30 to 4300 pg/g (median <30 pg/g, n = 96), and the activities in sediments ranged from <30 to 4000 pg/g (median 33 pg/g, n = 24). Dioxin-like compounds accumulated in samples collected around e-waste-processing areas such as open-burning sites and e-waste-processing workshops, and the compounds may be transported from their sources to surrounding areas over the course of several years. Some of the CALUX-TEQs, but not WHO-TEQs, values were higher than the maximum acceptable WHO-TEQs promulgated by various authorities, indicating that all dioxin-like compounds should be evaluated in samples collected from e-waste-processing areas. Our findings suggest that open burning and open storage of e-waste should be prohibited and that wastewater treatment should be implemented at each workshop to reduce contamination by dioxin-like compounds from e-waste.

Building capabilities among e-scrappers in informal electronic waste management: the case of the Nigerian e-scrappers

This study examines the capabilities of e-scrappers developed through the constant interaction with electronic waste (e-waste). Video-based interviews were conducted with 29 male e-scrappers in Edo and Lagos States, Nigeria. Data analysis reveals that over time, e-scrappers in Nigeria are driven by aspirations not only of financial security but also of societal acceptance and recognition. Progressively, they have developed capabilities such as effective extraction methods based on individual abilities, market demand and the presence of an active social network, which have had a significant impact on the choices of the developed capabilities.