Social impact assessment of informal recycling of electronic ICT waste in Pakistan using UNEP SETAC guidelines

Umair, Shakila; Björklund, Anna; Ekener, Elisabeth

doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2014.11.008

Cited by 162 publications

(103 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…However, digital technology offers both possibilities and challenges when used as a tool for reaching climate targets. The main challenges consist of ICTs own carbon emissions [7], a problematic waste handling [8] and rebound effects [9]. Possibilities include potential to substitute travel and material goods with more resource-efficient digital alternatives, intensify use by sharing of resources, optimize use of different infrastructures, inform about effects and long-term changes of society [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indicators for Promising Accessibility and Mobility Services

et al. 2018

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Cities are increasingly facing major transportation challenges, and new sustainable solutions are needed. New ICT-enabled services can be part of solving the problems, including both improving and finding new transportation services and providing digital access to different services. It is important to identify which services have the best potential for environmental benefits (e.g., travel reduction leading to lesser emissions), economic viability and spread. Such identification can be carried out with the help of indicators. This article uses four types of new accessibility services to test out a previously formulated set of indicators and suggest changes to make them more useful. Using common indicators for transportation and digital accessibility services seem to support collecting and condensing information about the services and simplifies understanding their benefits and challenges. However, a challenge for this approach is finding indicators that are both specific and broad enough to be useful.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indicators for Promising Accessibility and Mobility Services

et al. 2018

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“…Indeed, mobile phone subscribers have increased exponentially during the past 20 years (Basel-Convention, 2008;ITU, 2013), resulting in more e-waste at the end-of-life (EoL) (PanambunanFerse and Breiter, 2013). In industrialized countries (IC), less than 20% of used phones are properly managed at EoL (PanambunanFerse and Breiter, 2013;Umair et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because of the potentially remaining active life in used phones and the possibility to upgrade mobile phones at a lower price, interest in using second-hand (or/and refurbished) phones has emerged in both IC and developing countries (DC). In addition, due to increasing interest in e-wastes for reuse and informal recycling in DC, IC export e-wastes to DC (Umair et al, 2013). In DC, these wastes mostly end up in landfills after informal recycling consisting of manual dismantling with bare hands and open burning (Panambunan-Ferse and Breiter, 2013;Umair et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, due to increasing interest in e-wastes for reuse and informal recycling in DC, IC export e-wastes to DC (Umair et al, 2013). In DC, these wastes mostly end up in landfills after informal recycling consisting of manual dismantling with bare hands and open burning (Panambunan-Ferse and Breiter, 2013;Umair et al, 2013). Due to a very low overall recovery rate in this informal recycling (Bollinger et al, 2012;Herat and Agamuthu, 2012;Umair et al, 2013), the global mobile phone product system (GMPPS) loses a substantial amount of valuable resources that could be recovered (Basel-Convention, 2008;Geyer and Blass, 2010;Tischner, 2012;Wang et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Identifying ways of closing the metal flow loop in the global mobile phone product system: A system dynamics modeling approach

Sinha

Laurenti

Singh

et al. 2016

Resources, Conservation and Recycling

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a b s t r a c tIn the past few decades, e-waste has emerged as one of the fastest growing and increasingly complex waste flows world-wide. Within e-waste, the life cycle of the mobile phone product system is particularly important because of: (1) the increasing quantities of mobile phones in this waste flow; and (2) the sustainability challenges associated with the emerging economies of reuse, refurbishment, and export of used mobile phones. This study examined the possibilities of closing the material flow loop in the global mobile phone product system (GMPPS) while addressing the broad sustainability challenges linked to recovery of materials. This was done using an adapted system dynamics modeling approach to investigate the dominant paths and drivers for closing the metal flow loop through the concept of eco-cycle. Two indicators were chosen to define the closed loop system: loop leakage and loop efficiency. Sensitivity analysis of selected parameters was used to identify potential drivers for closing the metal flow loop. The modeling work indicated leverage for management strategies aimed at closing the loop in: (i) collection systems for used phones, (ii) mobile phone use time, and (ii) informal recycling in developing countries. By analyzing the dominant parameters, an eco-cycle scenario that could promote a closed loop system by decreasing pressures on virgin materials was formulated. Improved policy support and product service systems could synchronize growth between upstream producers and end-of-life organizations and help achieve circular production and consumption in the GMPPS.

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“…Most ICT4S research has focused either on understanding the negative direct impacts of hardware such as energy use of internet [7,8,9] and the generation of ewaste [10], or on the applications of using the technologies with a sustainability purpose, such as increasing the efficiency of systems and increasing dematerialization [11] or triggering behavioral change [12]. Computer technologies are treated either as a system to be understood, or as tools that can be used for some purpose.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blinded by data: The risks of the implicit focus on data in ICT for Sustainability

Zapico¹

2014

Proceedings of the 2014 Conference ICT for Sustainability

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Abstract-Sustainability is a normative concept, building on ideas such as justice, equity and responsibility, and based on human culture and society. Computers, internet, and the technologies that are central in our network society embed also normative values and are part of a cultural context. But the work looking at computer technologies and sustainability has been mostly oriented towards either calculating the impact of technology or using technology as a tool for solving practical problems. ICT is seen as a neutral system to be used or study, while the more normative aspects are mostly overlooked. This paper explores some of the problems arising from these overlooked normative values, such as focusing only on quantifiable problems while forgetting other aspects that may be as important but not easy to put in numbers, or trusting too much in numbers while hiding assumption and model choices. This paper suggests that more critical reflection on these questions is needed in the research area, as well as developing more connections with existing research on these topics in more traditional disciplines.

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Social impact assessment of informal recycling of electronic ICT waste in Pakistan using UNEP SETAC guidelines

Cited by 162 publications

References 16 publications

Indicators for Promising Accessibility and Mobility Services

Indicators for Promising Accessibility and Mobility Services

Identifying ways of closing the metal flow loop in the global mobile phone product system: A system dynamics modeling approach

Blinded by data: The risks of the implicit focus on data in ICT for Sustainability

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