WEEE flow and mitigating measures in China

Abstract

The research presented in this paper shows that Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) issues associated with home appliances, such as TV sets, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, and personal computers, are linked in the WEEE flow and recycling systems and are important to matters of public policy and regulation. In this paper, the sources and generation of WEEE in China are identified, and WEEE volumes are calculated. The results show that recycling capacity must increase if the rising quantity of domestic WEEE is to be handled properly. Simultaneously, suitable WEEE treatment will generate large volumes of secondary resources. Environmental problems caused by the existing recycling processes have been investigated in a case study. Problems mainly stem from open burning of plastic-metal parts and from precious metals leaching techniques that utilize acids.The existing WEEE flow at the national level was investigated and described. It became obvious that a considerable amount of obsolete items are stored in homes and offices and have not yet entered the recycling system. The reuse of used appliances has become a high priority for WEEE collectors and dealers because reuse generates higher economic profits than simple material recovery. The results of a cost analysis of WEEE flow shows that management and collection costs significantly influence current WEEE management.Heated discussions are ongoing in political and administrative bodies as to whether extended producer responsibilities policies are promoting WEEE recycling and management. This paper also discusses future challenges and strategies for WEEE management in China.

Degradation of brominated flame retardant in computer housing plastic by supercritical fluids

“…It was found that KOH exhibited eminent performance for decomposition of the plastic and followed by NaOH. Nevertheless, addition of Ca(OH) 2 , NaHCO 3 and Na 2 CO 3 exhibited negative effects on oil recycling as only around 20% oil were obtained. In the case of Ca(OH) 2 , up to 69.7% of Fig.…”

“…As a result, about 20-50 million tones of electronic wastes (e-wastes) are generated worldwide every year [1]. In China, more than 2 million tons of e-wastes are generated each year, and the figure is expected to increase to approximately 5.4 million tons by 2015 [2,3]. E-wastes, thought as one of the largest sources of heavy metals and organic pollutants in municipal waste, have become a serious problem [2].…”

Handling WEEE waste flows: on the effectiveness of producer responsibility in a globalizing world

“…This results in: 53/1924 (ICT expenditure ratio China/ USA)×1314/298 (population ratio China/USA)×6.6 mln tons=0.53 mln tons WEEE per year. However, Yang et al [54] [43] to be 500,000 units. In China, the corresponding number was 9.8 mln units, which is nearly 20 times higher.…”

“…In cities like Beijing, there are large second-hand markets. After sorting and dismantling e-waste, it is sent from Beijing to Southeast China [54], mainly to Guang Dong and Zhe Jiang provinces, where the actual refining and metal recovery operations take place 12 . Amounts exported/imported Japan Most exported WEEE from Japan ends up in China and India because of geographical and cost considerations.…”

Lead recovery from cathode ray tube funnel glass with mechanical activation

“…Computer monitors and TV sets containing cathode ray tubes represent approximately 80% of the total electronic waste worldwide (Méar et al, 2006b;Herat, 2008). In China, TV sets are the dominant contributor and account for 47.7% by weight of the total e-waste (Yang et al, 2008). With the rapid development of display device technology, the CRT has gradually been replaced by the liquid crystal display (Poon, 2008).…”