Electronic Waste Recycling and Disposal: An Overview

Cristina Lucier and Brian Gareau

A chapter in Assessment and Management of Radioactive and Electronic Wastes from IntechOpen

Abstract: Electronic waste, or e-waste, is said to be the fastest growing stream of hazardous waste in the world. E-waste is comprised of a variety of inputs including hazardous materials, potentially valuable and recyclable materials, and other inputs. E-waste follows a range of pathways after disposal, including formal and informal recycling, storage, and dumping, in both developed and less-developed country contexts. Globally, the handling and regulation of e-waste as both a hazardous waste stream and as a source of secondary raw materials has undergone significant changes in the past decade. A growing number of countries have adopted extended producer responsibility laws, which mandate electronics manufacturers to pay for proper recycling and disposal of electronics. The e-waste recycling industry is becoming more formalized as the potential to recover valuable materials has increased, but a range of recent studies have shown that e-waste recycling continues to carry a range of occupational health and environmental risks.

Keywords: e-waste; waste electrical and electronic equipment; extended producer responsibility; Basel Convention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q53 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ito:pchaps:191396

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.85983

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