Management of electrical and electronic waste: A comparative evaluation of China and India
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed the implementation of e-waste management laws and policies for proper ewaste collection, treatment and recycling, better educate consumers on the dangers of contamination, restrict the illegal movement of Ewaste across borders, and support the development of a formal, regulated ewance processing industry by funding incentive programs constructing recycling infrastructure.
Abstract: Globally, electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) is now a part of daily life. When this equipment becomes waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE or E-waste), however, it needs to be properly processed, for use as a source of materials for future production and renewable energy, and to minimize both the exploitation of raw materials and the deleterious effects on both the environment and human health. A large quantity of e-waste is generated in both India and China, and both countries still suffer from an entrenched informal e-waste processing sector. Consequently, valuable materials in e-waste are disposed in open land, rather than being properly extracted for reuse and recycling. In this article we note that the major portion of e-waste in China and India is collected by the informal sector and treated with primitive methods. Additionally, illegal shifting agents also play a role by mislabeling e-waste and exporting them to developing countries. This article proposes that: the implementation of e-waste management laws and policies for proper e-waste collection, treatment and recycling, better educate consumers on the dangers of e-waste contamination, restrict the illegal movement of e-waste across borders, and support the development of a formal, regulated e-waste processing industry by funding incentive programs constructing recycling infrastructure. These measures should increase the recycling capacity and decrease the amount of WEEE contaminating the environment and endangering human health.
Citations
More filters
TL;DR: In this paper, an interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and decision-making trail and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) is employed to understand the hierarchal and contextual relationship structure among the barriers of e-waste management.
198 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a review of prevailing e-waste management practices reveals complex and often intertwined gaps, issues and challenges, including the absence of any consistent definition of ewaste to date, a prevalent toxic potential still involving already banned or restricted hazardous components such as heavy metals and persistent and bio-accumulative organic compounds, a relentless growth in ewuse volume fueled by planned obsolescence and unsustainable consumption, problematic e-recycling processes, a fragile formal e-recycling sector, sustained and more harmful informal e-cycling practices, and more convoluted
152 citations
TL;DR: The results suggest that the informal e-waste recycling has negative impacts on the enviroment and human health.
Abstract: Concerns about the adverse consequences of informal electronic waste (e-waste) recycling is increasing, because e-waste contains some hazardous substances such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) which is used as flame retardants in electronics. There is dearth of information on the concentrations of PBDEs and the pattern of distribution at the various e-waste recycling sites in Nigeria. This study therefore measured the concentrations of 13 PBDE congeners, in top soils (0⁻10 cm) and in various dust samples from different e-waste recycling sites (burning, dismantling, repair). PBDE concentrations at e-waste sites were compared with the concentrations in samples from corresponding control sites in three study locations in Nigeria (Lagos, Ibadan, and Aba). There were significant differences in the level of PBDEs congeners between each of the e-waste recycling sites and the corresponding control sites. The levels of PBDEs at the e-waste recycling sites exceeded the levels at the controls sites by a factor of 100 s to 1000 s. In general, PBDE concentrations at the e-waste sites decreased with the intensity of the e-waste recycling activities: burning sites > dismantling sites > repair sites > control sites. Our results suggest that the informal e-waste recycling has negative impacts on the enviroment and human health.
114 citations
Cites background from "Management of electrical and electr..."
...This situation in Nigeria is likely to be representative for informal e-waste recycling in countries that lack the resources for safe e-waste recycling such as in India, Brazil, Mexico [43], and Ghana [44] among others....
[...]
...Importation of electronics is one major way PBDEs are exported to developing countries such as China [5], India [23], Ghana [24], and Nigeria [25]....
[...]
TL;DR: It is shown that ‘Environmental management system’ (EMS) is the most significant and important driving enabler to influence all the other existing enablers and e-WM can be efficient if it focuses on producing eco-friendly products, developing strict legislations, building green image and supporting the producers to implement CE practices.
Abstract: With increasing population, excessive use of electrical and electronic products and extreme demand of resources have compelled the linear economy to transform into Circular Economy (CE). In the current scenario, e-waste management has become the top priority of all the developed and developing nations especially those in the transition phase. The generation of e-waste has increased proportionally across the world and created an intense pressure on the firms to implement sustainable practices to redesign and recycle the products. The current status of the developing countries like India confronts number of challenges to manage e-waste produced, and the only possible solution is to minimize the waste generation and practicing recycling processes. For transforming into CEs, there is a need to identify the most influencing key enablers through which an effective and robust e-waste management (e-WM) system can be developed. An extensive literature review and expert judgments are expended to identify the most influencing key enablers of e-WM in circular economies, and, being the highest producer of e-waste, Mumbai (Maharashtra) has been chosen as the case location. To explore the strength of causal and effect enablers, the DEMATEL method is applied. This study has shown that 'Environmental management system' (EMS) is the most significant and important driving enabler to influence all the other existing enablers. This study has also highlighted that e-WM can be efficient if it focuses on producing eco-friendly products, developing strict legislations, building green image and supporting the producers to implement CE practices. This study helps stakeholders and policy makers to reduce the burden from the environment and focus on developing an efficient e-WM system on the basis of identified key enablers like EMS and collaboration with environmental partners to contribute towards CE transition.
109 citations
TL;DR: Analysis of the linkages between circular economy (CE) and sustainable development (SD) by examining the role of renewable energy and waste management sectors in CE combined with policy setup and enabling frameworks boosting the influx of circularity principles in the Indian context revealed that research dedicated towards energy recovery from waste in India lacks integration with SD.
107 citations
References
More filters
TL;DR: Miniaturisation and the development of more efficient cloud computing networks, where computing services are delivered over the internet from remote locations, may offset the increase in E-waste production from global economic growth and theDevelopment of pervasive new technologies.
1,431 citations
TL;DR: The Basel Ban, an amendment to the Basel Convention that has not yet come into force, would go one step further by prohibiting the export of e-waste from developed to industrializing countries as discussed by the authors.
1,377 citations
TL;DR: Based on the scientific knowledge of today and based on Nordic intake data, the possible consumer health risk from PBDEs appears limited, as a factor of over 10 separates the estimated present mean dietary intake from the suggested LOAEL value.
Abstract: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are used as flame retardants in plastics (concentration, 5--30%) and in textile coatings. Commercial products consist predominantly of penta-, octa-, and decabromodiphenyl ether mixtures, and global PBDE production is about 40,000 tons per year. PBDEs are bioaccumulated and biomagnified in the environment, and comparatively high levels are often found in aquatic biotopes from different parts of the world. During the mid-1970--1980s there was a substantial increase in the PBDE levels with time in both sediments and aquatic biota, whereas the latest Swedish data (pike and guillemot egg) may indicate that levels are at steady state or are decreasing. However, exponentially increasing PBDE levels have been observed in mother's milk during 1972--1997. Based on levels in food from 1999, the dietary intake of PBDE in Sweden has been estimated to be 0.05 microg per day. Characteristic end points of animal toxicity are hepatotoxicity, embryotoxicity, and thyroid effects as well as maternal toxicity during gestation. Recently, behavioral effects have been observed in mice on administration of PBDEs during a critical period after birth. Based on the critical effects reported in available studies, we consider the lowest-observed-adverse-effect level (LOAEL) value of the PBDE group to be 1 mg/kg/day (primarily based on effects of pentaBDEs). In conclusion, with the scientific knowledge of today and based on Nordic intake data, the possible consumer health risk from PBDEs appears limited, as a factor of over 10(6) separates the estimated present mean dietary intake from the suggested LOAEL value. However, the presence of many and important data gaps, including those in carcinogenicity, reproduction, and developmental toxicity, as well as additional routes of exposure, make this conclusion only preliminary. Moreover, the time trend of PBDEs in human breast milk is alarming for the future.
1,091 citations
TL;DR: The physical and particle properties of WEEE are presented and it is expected that a mechanical recycling process will be developed for the upgrading of low metal content scraps.
956 citations
TL;DR: It is obvious that the environment is highly contaminated by these toxic chemicals derived from the recycling processes, especially on tracking the exposure pathways of different toxic chemicals which may affect the workers and local residents especially mothers, infants and children.
719 citations