Quantifying used electrical and electronic equipment exported from ireland to west africa in roll-on roll-off vehicles

McMahon, Kathleen; Uchendu, Chidinma; Fitzpatrick, Colin

doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105177

Cited by 12 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 19 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…However, high-income countries fail to manage their e-waste and ELVs flow, and less developed countries are still exposed to illegal waste trades despite the Basel Convention framework [8]. Secondhand electrical and electronic goods and second-hand vehicles are imported by low and middle-income countries with repercussions to the environment such as air and land pollution [9,10]. Additionally, the improper collection of e-waste and their landfill together with the household waste or their recycling with primitive techniques by unauthorized persons generates pollution and human health issues [11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Jobs in the proper management of e-waste and ELVs have different levels of complexity, but their common goals are decent work, recovering the resources from e-waste flows, and reducing environmental pollution and health impacts through proper management of ewaste, including e-waste that is contained in the modern vehicles. Numerous studies in the field [4,10,15,17] show that in terms of e-waste, the initial manual sorting and dismantling processes are more efficient than the automatic ones in extracting and creating value, and these operations require enough workforce to ensure the good management of this rapidly growing waste stream, thus becoming a job-creation engine. A study conducted in the UK in 2010 estimated that every 1000 tons of e-waste processed in the UK created an additional 40 jobs in their collection and sorting [18] Last but not least, the recycling of these two waste streams is a way of maintaining critical raw materials (CRMs) and other resources in the economic flow with lower energy consumption and less GHG production than by their extraction from mining, especially as reserves are limited anyway [19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

E-Waste and End-of-Life Vehicles Management and Circular Economy Initiatives in Romania

Modoi

Mihai

2022

Energies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

E-waste and end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) are fast-growing waste streams in the EU and beyond that require specific collection and treatment activities to avoid environmental pollution and resource depletion fed by the linear economy model. This paper aims to investigate the links between e-waste and ELVs streams and the circular economy approach of the EU. Romania is examined as a relevant case study for the central and eastern European Region regarding: (i) the current e-waste and ELVs management deficiencies and challenges in line with circular economy principles promoted by EU; (ii) analysis of E-waste and ELVs flows data; and (iii) best circular economy initiatives related to e-waste and ELVs in Romania, including the opportunity to create new jobs in treatment activities that the simple operations from the first stages of e-waste recycling can produce locally and regionally in Romania. This work points out the current knowledge gaps and future research directions for these special waste streams in Romania and beyond.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

E-Waste and End-of-Life Vehicles Management and Circular Economy Initiatives in Romania

Modoi

Mihai

2022

Energies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A 2-year study in Nigeria at the two import ports showed used electronic and electric (UEEE) devices imported in containers and roll-on/roll-off vehicles originating from the EU, USA and China, of which 26% of the total 60,000 tonnes were estimated to be e-waste (Odeyingbo et al, 2017). Such UEEE flows were confirmed by follow-up research in Ireland, with 17,319 kg of UEEE exported on roll-on/roll-off vehicles (McMahon et al, 2021). Based on the customs paperwork, the Nigerian research shows that most of the registered UEEE importers were Nigerians (Odeyingbo et al, 2017).…”

Section: Transboundary Waste Binaries Academic Sourcementioning

confidence: 87%

Transboundary movement of waste review: From binary towards a contextual framing

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Multiple cases of toxic waste dumping from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries to non-OECD countries in the 1980s led to scholarly attention to transboundary waste movements. The Basel Convention was established to provide an international legal framework to tackle such problems in the early 1990s, focusing on hazardous waste. However, the transboundary movement of all waste, not just hazardous waste, remains a societal challenge globally, frequently surfacing as an ethical question on the one hand and a story of resource management/trade on the other. This phenomenon has been studied across disciplines resulting in diverse, scattered and often contested understandings. Despite previous and ongoing efforts, waste production, management and transboundary movements are increasing and are predicted to grow significantly with global social, environmental and economic implications. This literature review uses a research synthesis and problematisation approach to critically analyse the transboundary waste literature since 1985. The findings highlight research trends, the need for data reliability and policy coherence, and the sustainability implications of the phenomenon. One recurring theme in the literature is the reduction of the complex phenomenon involving multiple countries, policies, actors and waste streams into simple opposite narratives, which we called transboundary waste binaries. We have identified and then challenged assumptions behind transboundary waste binaries and discussed the implications of such assumptions on the broader discourse. We have concluded with future research recommendations to look past the transboundary waste binaries towards a nuanced and contextual understanding of transboundary waste flows.

show abstract

“…Scrap upgrading technologies and lifetime extension should be closely scrutinized before implementation as additional energy cost might exceed the benefit of copper saving. An important source of copper, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), has been exported from developed countries to developing countries and managed by informal recyclers, which have lower yields and higher environmental and health impacts − and could be managed more efficiently and effectively through policy reforms. Extended producer responsibility policies on WEEE , and end-of-life vehicles , that assign more responsibility on producers and importers showed potential on recycling innovation and awareness improvement.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Copper Recycling Flow Model for the United States Economy: Impact of Scrap Quality on Potential Energy Benefit

Wang

Berrill

Zimmerman

et al. 2021

Environ. Sci. Technol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Is recycling a means for meeting the increasing copper demand in the face of declining ore grades? To date, research to address this question has generally focused on the quantity, not the quality of copper scrap. Here, the waste input–output impact assessment (WIO-IA) model integrates information on United States (US) economy-wide material flow, various recycling indicators, and the impact of material production from diverse sources to represent the quantity and quality of copper flows throughout the lifecycle. This approach enables assessment of recycling performance against environmental impact indicators. If all potentially recyclable copper scrap was recycled, energy consumption associated with copper production would decrease by 15% with alloy scrap as the largest contributor. Further energy benefits from increased recycling are limited by the lower quality of the scrap yet to be recycled. Improving the yield ratio of final products and the grade of diverse consumer product scrap could help increase copper circularity and decrease energy consumption. Policy makers should address the importance of a portfolio of material efficiency strategies like improved utilization of copper products and lifetime extension in addition to encouraging the demand for recycled copper.

show abstract

Quantifying used electrical and electronic equipment exported from ireland to west africa in roll-on roll-off vehicles

Cited by 12 publications

References 19 publications

E-Waste and End-of-Life Vehicles Management and Circular Economy Initiatives in Romania

E-Waste and End-of-Life Vehicles Management and Circular Economy Initiatives in Romania

Transboundary movement of waste review: From binary towards a contextual framing

Copper Recycling Flow Model for the United States Economy: Impact of Scrap Quality on Potential Energy Benefit

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About