TY - JOUR
T1 - Handling e-waste in developed and developing countries
T2 - Initiatives, practices, and consequences
AU - Sthiannopkao, Suthipong
AU - Wong, Ming Hung
N1 - Funding Information:
Work on this paper was supported by Dong-A University, Busan, Republic of Korea. Language editing was assisted by Dennis McDermott.
PY - 2013/10/1
Y1 - 2013/10/1
N2 - Discarded electronic goods contain a range of toxic materials requiring special handling. Developed countries have conventions, directives, and laws to regulate their disposal, most based on extended producer responsibility. Manufacturers take back items collected by retailers and local governments for safe destruction or recovery of materials. Compliance, however, is difficult to assure, and frequently runs against economic incentives. The expense of proper disposal leads to the shipment of large amounts of e-waste to China, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and other developing countries. Shipment is often through middlemen, and under tariff classifications that make quantities difficult to assess. There, despite the intents of national regulations and hazardous waste laws, most e-waste is treated as general refuse, or crudely processed, often by burning or acid baths, with recovery of only a few materials of value. As dioxins, furans, and heavy metals are released, harm to the environment, workers, and area residents is inevitable.The faster growth of e-waste generated in the developing than in the developed world presages continued expansion of a pervasive and inexpensive informal processing sector, efficient in its own way, but inherently hazard-ridden.
AB - Discarded electronic goods contain a range of toxic materials requiring special handling. Developed countries have conventions, directives, and laws to regulate their disposal, most based on extended producer responsibility. Manufacturers take back items collected by retailers and local governments for safe destruction or recovery of materials. Compliance, however, is difficult to assure, and frequently runs against economic incentives. The expense of proper disposal leads to the shipment of large amounts of e-waste to China, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and other developing countries. Shipment is often through middlemen, and under tariff classifications that make quantities difficult to assess. There, despite the intents of national regulations and hazardous waste laws, most e-waste is treated as general refuse, or crudely processed, often by burning or acid baths, with recovery of only a few materials of value. As dioxins, furans, and heavy metals are released, harm to the environment, workers, and area residents is inevitable.The faster growth of e-waste generated in the developing than in the developed world presages continued expansion of a pervasive and inexpensive informal processing sector, efficient in its own way, but inherently hazard-ridden.
KW - E-waste
KW - E-waste recycling
KW - Extended producer responsibility
KW - Management
KW - Take-back
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84883456131&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.06.088
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.06.088
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 22858354
AN - SCOPUS:84883456131
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 463-464
SP - 1147
EP - 1153
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
ER -