Selective separation of ABS/PC containing BFRs from ABSs mixture of WEEE by developing hydrophilicity with ZnO coating under microwave treatment

Considering rapid economic development and continuously increasing environmental concerns, end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) have significant socioeconomic value as a crucial waste stream. The research relating to ELVs has rapidly evolved over the last few years. However, existing review studies focus on specific research themes, and thus, fail to present a complete picture. Hence, this research intends to explain the current research scenario relating to ELVs by reviewing the critical published studies of the last 22 years. A total of 1405 research publications were extracted from the Scopus database covering the period from 2000 to 2021. Mainly employing bibliometric analysis techniques, this research analyzes the quantity of literature, researchers, institutions, countries, and research themes to understand the current status and future trends in ELV recycling and management. The results revealed a considerable rise in the number of articles published in the last five years. The key producers of influential ELV research are listed as the United States, China, and the United Kingdom. Globally, Chinese universities have the most ELV-related articles published. Similarly, Serbian researcher Vladimir Simic authored the most ELV-related articles during the research period. This article also identifies various research themes: management and recycling, resource recovery and components, life cycle evaluation, and socioeconomic effects. The results also reveal a strong association between distinct ELV research clusters.

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A Bibliometric Analysis of End-of-Life Vehicles Related Research: Exploring a Path to Environmental Sustainability

The circular economy (CE) has been frequently in the news recently, as it offers a regenerative system that substitutes the end-of-life concept with restoration. Despite several benefits yielded by the CE from a triple-bottom-line perspective, India’s end-of-life vehicle (ELV) recycling sector is striving against numerous impediments to implementing the CE approach. Therefore, this paper attempts to shine a spotlight on India’s ELV recycling sector, to identify the potential drivers and barriers to CE implementation. This study has employed an explorative approach to determine the impediments and drivers regarding implementing CE in India’s ELV recycling sector. This research reveals that economic viability (25 percent), environmental degradation (17 percent), and global agenda (15 percent) are the three leading primary drivers. In contrast, limited technology (18 percent), financial constraints (15 percent), and a lack of knowledge and expertise (12 percent) are significant barriers that thwart CE implementation in India’s ELV recycling sector. This paper has made the first attempt to explore the drivers and barriers to implementing CE in the ELV recycling sector in India. Therefore, besides advancing our understanding of opportunities for and threats to implementing CE, this investigation may assist the Indian authorities in devising appropriate policies and strategies and developing a regulatory and legal framework that is conducive to CE and sustainability.

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An Assessment of Drivers and Barriers to Implementation of Circular Economy in the End-of-Life Vehicle Recycling Sector in India

ABSTRACT Closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) activities ensure flawless Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) management by the usage of IoT and Blockchain technology (BCT) is proven as an effective and sustainable solution among developed countries. However, implementation challenges including data integrity, accessibility, and reluctance to change restrict the potential of these digital technologies in developing countries. Thus, to extend the existing literature, the study has relevance. Based on a systematic literature review, Best Worst Method (BWM) is used for determining the most critical BCT implementation barriers affecting WEEE. This study identifies the IoT-enabled BCT implementation issues in closed-loop WEEE management. This study examines the appropriate issues in the context of developing a legislative support system, ineffective database management, low understanding of cognitive technologies, and information security and privacy are the key concerns for BCT implementation in closed-loop supply chains. The model is an effort in the waste management domain for the transition of developing economies towards circularity.

Implementation challenges of blockchain technology in closed-loop supply chain: A Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) management perspective in developing countries

Abstract The growing number of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) engenders a genuine concern for achieving sustainable development. Properly recycling ELV is paramount to checking pollution, reducing landfills, and conserving natural resources. The present study evaluates the sustainability of India's ELV recycling system from techno-socio-economic and environmental aspects as an instrumental step for assessing performance and progress. This investigation has performed the Strength-Weakness-Opportunity-Threat (SWOT) analysis to evaluate ELV recycling in the long-term viability and examine the critical factors and potential. This research makes practical recommendations for effectively encountering persistent challenges in the ELV recycling system based on Indian values. This research adopts an explorative and Integrated bottom-up mixed approach; it interfaces qualitative and quantitative data and secondary research. This study reveals that the social, economic, technological, and environmental aspects of the sustainability of India's ELV recycling system are comparatively limited. The SWOT analysis demonstrates that potential market size and resource recovery are more significant strengths, whereas lack of an appropriate framework and limited technology are major challenges in the recycling of ELVs in India. Sustainable development and economic viability have emerged as great opportunities, while informality and environmental impact have surfaced as primary potential threats to ELV recycling in India. This paper offers insights and yields critical real-world data that may assist in rational decision-making and developing and implementing any subsequent framework. 

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Evaluation of end-of-life vehicle recycling system in India in responding to the sustainability paradigm: an explorative study

The sustainable resource management of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) towards a circular economy has become an issue of concern around the world. An understanding of recycling and the quantitative flow of ELVs is important because of their potential for resource recovery as well as the environmental impacts posed by their toxic chemicals upon disposal. In this paper, the generation and recycling system of ELVs in South Korea has been discussed based on a review of the available statistics and literature and site visits to ELV-recycling facilities. A material-flow analysis (MFA) for ELVs was performed to elucidate the resource recovery from recycling, while the substance flow of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in automobile shredded residues (ASR) was also determined for proper management. Approximately one million tons of ELVs in 2020 were processed by dismantling and shredding treatment for the recovery of reusable and recyclable materials (803,000 tons), resulting in 78,300 tons of ASR. Approximately 97 tons of PBDEs as flame retardants were generated mainly from ASR in 2020 and processed via combustion, either with energy recovery (59.8%) or without heat recovery (39.2%). The monitoring of brominated dioxins and furans by unintentional release during the incineration processes of ASR is required in order to prevent the dispersion of the chemicals in the environment.

https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/3/1270/pdf?version=1643006861

Recycling and Material-Flow Analysis of End-of-Life Vehicles towards Resource Circulation in South Korea

The proper management of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) or electronic waste (e-waste) has become a major issue of concern for solid waste communities due to the large volumes of the waste being generated as well as the potential resource recovery associated with rare metals found in discarded electronic devices. Improper management of such waste can cause potential environmental impacts associated with toxic chemicals found in most electronic devices. This paper presents the current management system and recycling efforts of WEEE in Korea. Specifically, the generation rates, recycling target rates, and the EPR (extended producer responsibility) system of e-waste have been discussed. The results indicate that life spans of e-waste ranged from 2.3 year for mobile phone to 7.8 year for refrigerator and washing machine. The results in this study by using the Monte- Carlo simulation method showed that the national recycling target rate in 2017 was predicted to be 4.74 kg/person/year on average (5% percentile 4.03 kg/person/year, 95% percentile 5.54 kg/person/year). The AHP modeling was also performed to expand the WEEE list by the EPR. Recent WEEE policy efforts (expansion of the EPR list, shared responsibility of distributors with producers, and better collection system by local governments) with diverse collection programs and the development of advanced e-waste recycling technology would increase collection and recycling rates of the waste. The strengthened WEEE regulations would encourage its producers to develop more environmentally sustainable products, and require them to take extended responsibility for the recycling of their products.

Material Recycling and Flow of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment in Korea

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the incineration of municipal solid waste (MSW) have become a concern in the solid waste community from the perspective of climate change mitigation and response. In this study, we aimed to estimate the GHG emissions from the incineration of MSW in Seoul, with a population of about 10 million, by using the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) 2006 guideline and scenario analysis for 2030 and 2040. In 2021, Seoul generated 2899 kt of MSW/yr. Approximately 40% (1163 kt/yr) of Seoul’s MSW was disposable (or non-recyclable) waste. Out of the disposable waste, about 741 kt/yr of combustible waste was treated by incineration, resulting in 545 kt CO2 eq emissions, which was about 7.5 times higher than the 74 kt CO2 eq in 2000. The dominant contributor to the GHG emissions was plastic waste, accounting for the largest fraction of 92% (501 kt CO2 eq/yr in 2021). Scenario analysis showed that if the current situation (BAU scenario) is considered, with the assumption of no reduction in MSW generation, the capacity of Seoul’s four incineration facilities will be exceeded in 2029. All other scenarios (S1, S2, and S3) showed reduced amounts of MSW incineration and GHG emissions compared to the BAU scenario. Especially, S3 (waste reduction and increased recycling rate) revealed a 53% reduction when compared to the BAU scenario. Based on the results of our scenario analysis, it is expected that in 2040, the GHG emissions from incineration will be in a range of from about 389 kt CO2 eq to 832 kt CO2 eq, depending on the waste minimization policy and recycling efforts in the future. Strengthened regulations on and efforts towards plastic waste reduction and the recycling of MSW will be crucial with the perspectives of GHG emissions by incineration and resource recovery.

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Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Incineration of Municipal Solid Waste in Seoul, South Korea

Proper management and treatment of end-of-life fluorescent lamps with a toxic metal of mercury has attracted critical concern in the solid waste community. In this study, material flow analysis (MFA) and substance flow of mercury were performed on the lamps by life cycle in South Korea. It was found that, in 2020, approximately 2957 tons (or 27.9 million units) of end-of-life fluorescent lamps from households were collected and recycled by the recycling facilities in South Korea. Approximately 278 kg of mercury was recovered from the lamps and treated at the hazardous incineration facilities. Based on the results of dynamic flow analysis, the amount of fluorescent lamps to be retried is expected to continually decrease to be about 14.2 million units, which is estimated to be 23 kg of mercury. However, continued collection efforts on end-of-life fluorescent lamps owing to increasing demands for light-emitting diode lamps should be made from the perspectives of proper treatment of mercury as well as resource recovery. More detailed studies on other mercury-containing lamps (e.g., metal halogen lamps, high-pressure mercury lamps, and high-pressure sodium lamps) are warranted to determine mercury flows in waste streams for proper collection and treatment upon disposal.

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Recycling and Material Flow Analysis of End-of-Life Fluorescent Lamps in South Korea

In this study, the occurrence and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in road dust sediment(RDS) deposited from main traffic roads as well as residential and industrial areas were examined with a total of 144 samples in seasons. Based on the results, the concentrations of PAHs were found to be higher in winter and ranged between 0.15 and 1.94 mg/kg with an average of 0.65 mg/kg. The results indicate that pyrene, fluoranthene, phenanthrene, and benzo(ghi)perylene were commonly found in RDS, likely originated from vehicle exhaust emissions and fuel combustion by the diagnostic ratio study. Non-cancer risk from PAHs for humans exposed to RSD was found to be low (HI 1.2E-05). The estimated excess cancer risks by PAHs in RDS was also much less than the regulatory guideline for cancer risk (1Ã10â6). Thus, current concentrations of PAHs in RDS are expected to be pose no threat to humans under the assumed exposure scenarios with applied exposure factors. However, more extensive and long-term sample analysis for gaseous and particulate PAHs is still warranted to determine potential risks to humans and the fate in the environment, since their concentration and distribution can be influenced by micro-metrological conditions, traffic volumes, or road clean-up conditions. Keywords: distribution, risk assessment, road dust sediment, PAHs 

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Kyunghoon Choi

Papers

Recycling and Material-Flow Analysis of End-of-Life Vehicles towards Resource Circulation in South Korea

Material Recycling and Flow of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment in Korea

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Incineration of Municipal Solid Waste in Seoul, South Korea

Recycling and Material Flow Analysis of End-of-Life Fluorescent Lamps in South Korea

Occurrence, distribution and risk Assessment of PAHs in road dust sediment in Daejeon metropolitan city, South Korea