Abstract: The disposal and recovery of plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) are of considerable importance, both from an environmental and an economic perspective. This paper presents the results of a study investigating current concentrations of hazardous substances in mixed plastics from WEEE and their implications for an environmentally sound recovery. The study included 53 sampling campaigns for mixed plastics from WEEE. The samples were analyzed with regard to heavy metals (cadmium, chromium, mercury, and lead) and flame retardants (PentaBDE, OctaBDE, DecaBDE, DecaBB) regulated in the RoHS Directive. Besides these substances, other brominated flame retardants known to occur in electronics (HBCD, TBBPA) as well as the total bromine and phosphorus contents were considered. Results show that no mixed plastics fraction from WEEE is completely free from substances regulated in the RoHS Directive. The lowest number and average concentrations were found in flat screen monitors. The highest concentrations were found in mixed plastics from CRT monitors and TVs. Mixed plastics fractions with high average concentrations of heavy metals originate from the treatment of small household appliances (cadmium), ICT equipment (lead), and consumer equipment (lead). Mixed plastics fractions with high average concentrations of brominated flame retardants mainly originate from the treatment of small household appliances for high temperature applications (DecaBDE), CRT monitors (OctaBDE and DecaBDE) and consumer equipment (DecaBDE), in particular CRT TVs (DecaBDE). To avoid a dissipation of hazardous substances into plastics and the environment, it is recommended that mixed plastics from WEEE are subject to a strict quality management.
Abstract: This paper presents insights from a decade of development cooperation projects in electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) management and associated research activities, conducted by Empaâs Technology and Society Lab together with a number of international partners. The quantification of e-waste volumes is a prerequisite for the development of sustainable solutions in developing countries. Challenges include getting an understanding of the accuracy of data and the dynamic behavior of e-waste flows and their constituents. In addition, the thermodynamic and physical properties of the material mix found in e-waste needs to be understood in order to achieve efficient recovery of the material resources. The past and still on-going application of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment will remain a dominant issue in sustainable e-waste management systems in the future, if environmental, health and safety hazards, as well as cross-contamination into recovered secondary resources, are to be avoided. Furthermore, tailored solutions will have to take into account the informal nature of e-waste recycling in developing countries. Although continuing miniaturization of electronic devices can be observed, overall volumes and mass flows are expected to increase steadily in the future, as appliances are getting cheaper and hence more accessible, especially in the non-saturated markets of developing countries.
Abstract: The rapid pace of technological change, the highly diffused implementation of electronics in everyday life and a decrease in prices has made appliances for home and office equipment both affordable and widely used. The high growth rates combined with increasing obsolescence rates result in large quantities of end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment to be disposed of. In many countries flows of electric and electronic waste have never been quantified due to the lack of data and missing take-back schemes. Furthermore, studies to collect the data and to assess the e-waste quantity are often expensive and very complex. In this study a model was developed and applied to derive e-waste flows from existing indicators which are published periodically by international organizations (e.g. International Telecommunication Union, World Bank) and which are often cheaply accessible. The method allows estimating e-waste quantities in a certain region or country as well as on a global scale. A probabilistic model approach accounts for the fact that for many countries calibration data is not available. Results are shown for personal computers which show one of the highest growth rates. Further electronic appliances as well as whole e-waste categories are planned to be introduced in the model in the future.
Abstract: The Ghana e-Waste Country Assessment, comprising Component 1 and 2 of the Secretariat of the Basel Convention e-Waste Africa Project, was undertaken in the Accra â Tema area of Ghana between November 2009 and January 2011. The study subjects included; importers and distributers, assemblers, consumers, collectors, repairers, dismantlers, and recyclers of EEE and the disposal mechanisms available at present. All EEE of the four categories âlarge household appliancesâ, âsmall household appliancesâ, information and communication technologiesâ and âconsumer electronicsâ were included in the study. The findings were then extrapolated to become representative of Ghana as a whole. Sources of data included surveys, CEPS, UN Comtrade, and Statistical Service etc.
Abstract: Despite the fact that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are responsible for only a small part of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions â current estimations attribute around 2 % of man made emissions to ICT â this sector is the one with the fastest growing emissions. As a result, there is an increasing concern about the environmental impact of ICT, especially the climate change potential induced by ICT related energy consumption. At the same time, there is a growing perception that ICT can also substantially reduce the environmental impacts of other sectors, in particular by increasing their energy efficiency. ICT can help all economic sectors to become more energy efficient â since ICT allows existing processes to be optimized or enables entirely new, more energy efficient processes. The energy that could be saved by ICT induced energy efficiency is estimated to be several times larger than the overall energy consumption of ICT itself. The European Commission recognizes this potential and hopes that Europe will go a long way toward achieving its target of 20 % greenhouse gas reduction by 2020 by deploying ICT for energy efficiency. The present study looks at the field spawned by these two main issues at the intersection between ICT and energy: ICTâs own energy consumption and ICTâs potential to induce energy efficiency across the economy. In its approach to these issues, the study looks both at todayâs situation, as well as future opportunities and risks. The study discusses the following research questions: a) estimates of the current energy consumption of ICT, b) prospective future developments in this energy consumption, and c) future energy efficiency potentials induced by ICT in various economic sectors. [...]
Notes: ICT-ENSURE: European ICT Environmental Sustainability Research; call identifier FP7-ICT-2007-2
Abstract: Sustainable Innovation, understood as the shift of sustainable technologies, products and services to the market, requires a market creation concept and one common global agenda. The challenge is to raise awareness among all actors of the different sectors in order to realize the innovation potential and to shift to eco-innovations that lead to sustainable consumption and production patterns. Throughout this study prepared within the âSolving the E-Waste Problem (StEP) Initiativeâ the focus lies on a consistent set of different types of metals (ferrous and non-ferrous metals) such as aluminium (Al), copper (Cu), palladium (Pd) and gold (Au). Toxic and hazardous elements are present in e-waste, which are partially drivers for the implementation of sound collection and treatment processes. Therefore in the discussion of recycling technologies, the proper handling and treatment of such harmful elements to prevent environmental or health impact is included. Furthermore, the use and generation of toxic/hazardous substances during e-waste processing (for example, a mercury-gold amalgam or combined dioxins from inappropriate incineration) is critically evaluated with respect to the sustainability criteria for innovative technologies. The study, structured in three parts, has the following three main objectives: (1) Analysis of the market potential of relevant technologies for the e-waste recycling sector in selected developing countries, (2) Examination of the application of the âFramework for UNEP Technology Transfer Activities in Support of Global Climate Change Objectivesâ in order to foster the transfer of innovative technologies in the e-waste recycling sector, (3) Identification of innovation hubs and centres of excellence in emerging economies relevant for e-waste recycling technologies.
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