E-waste recycling has been a hot topic around the world.
This Feature
revisits the issues raised by our previous Feature 10 years ago, i.e.,
the environmental, economic, and social benefits of e-waste recycling,
using China as an example. The decadal journey of e-waste recycling
has witnessed a giant leap from haphazard disposal initially to regulated
disassembly presently. Specific successful stories include cleaned
environment and reduced human exposure, significant advantages of
urban mining over mineral mining, additional employment opportunities,
and improved legislation system related to e-waste recycling. Strict
legislation systems related to e-waste management based on the principle
of Extended Producer Responsibility are key to the sustainable development
of the e-waste recycling sector in China. The experiences and lessons
learned in China would provide valuable guidelines for other developing
countries.