Circular Economy in Electronic Waste Management 1
Circular Economy in Electronic Waste Management
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Circular Economy in Electronic Waste Management 2
Circular Economy in Electronic Waste Management
1. Introduction
Electric and electronic waste is one of the most significant environmental concern of the
modern digital age because of its immense quantities, rapid generation rates, and harmful
environmental loads it presents when not properly disposed. A recent study estimated that by
2030, the rate of worldwide e-waste output globally will be approximately 75 million metric tons
annually, if necessary measures of waste control are not are not put in place (Camilleri, 2020).
Therefore, the concept of a circular economy (CE) represents one of the most mentioned
frameworks towards waste management, that not only integrates economic activity in
production, the concept also considers environmental well-being as well as ensuring
sustainability of production (Ranjbari et al., 2021). Through an analysis of the application of
material flow analysis (MFA) and life cycle assessment (LCA), this paper aims to
comprehensively review the last decade's e-waste literature review and propose effective e-waste
disposal techniques employed in the circular economy concept.
1.1 Hypothesis
According to Withanage and Habib (2021), the circular economy concept motivates
the public, civil society, and business sectors to adopt zero waste policies. However, despite its
proven effectiveness, CE is yet to be widely adopted in many business models because, in many
studies, economic sustainability has been prioritized over environmental and social concerns.
Therefore, the circular economy concept advocates for modifications to common trends in
technological infrastructure, business models, and consumer habits to facilitate a seamless shift
from unsustainable economic models of production, towards a global electronic waste reduction.
Circular Economy in Electronic Waste Management 3
Consequently, if MLA and LCA methods are effectively adopted and implemented by
businesses including corporations around the world: the circular economy concept can
potentially yield a practical, systematic approach towards combating e-waste output, which
incorporates not only environmental concerns alongside economic development, but also inspires
alternative business models, primarily in production, to adopt a new approach towards the
sustainability of electronic production and effective waste disposal.
1.2 Problem Statement
There were roughly 53 million trillion tonnes of e-waste produced in 2019, or 7.1 kg per
household (Sudmant et al., 2019). This is because, in over the years, the retail price of electronic
devices has decreased, making them easier to obtain. However, although the generation rate
increases rapidly, the e-waste recycling rate does not increase rapidly enough to keep up. In
2019, official records showed that only 17.4 per cent (9.2 MT) of electronic waste was collected
and recycled. In response, the European Union enacted a plan for the Circular Economy to cut
down on e-waste, such as old cell phones (Xavier et al., 2021). This necessitated shifting priority
towards recycling goals for Municipal Solid e-waste that included measures such as repurposing
of smartphone components like batteries for reuse instead of disposal; thereby eliminating its
potential of pollution in the environment.
1.3 Research Question
How can an understanding of the environmental effects throughout the electronic product life
cycle—from production to disposal—inform the development of effective strategies for dealing
with e-waste?
Circular Economy in Electronic Waste Management 4
From the extraction of raw materials through their eventual disposal, electronic devices
have a substantial negative influence on the environment. Taking lithium as an example,
extracting the raw materials results in habitat loss, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions
(Ranjbari et al., 2021). Moreover, its industrial production process produces pollution that leads
to the emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, consuming a lot of energy and resources
in the process.
In addition to environmental concerns, e-waste materials pose health and environmental
dangers to the general population when disposed of incorrectly in landfills or incinerated without
precaution measures observed. Therefore, electronics producers ought to help ensure the long-
term viability of recycling programs envisioned of a circular economy by creating products that
are both recyclable and economical to produce (Makov et al., 2019). Therefore, extensive
producer responsibility, comprehensive consumer education, and robust recycling schemes must
exist to ensure attaining the closed loop concept associated with CE.
1.4 Objective
This research project aims to examine MFA and LCA techniques of sustainable e-waste
disposal solutions in the circular economy that help promote a smooth transition to a greener
future by the year 2030. In addition, Camilleri (2020) cite that several factors are pushing
businesses to prioritize industrial production, separating growth from using natural resources
alone. Therefore, in order to aid in the development of a uniform body of knowledge in the field
of circular economy and the closed loop method of waste disposal it advocates, this study seeks
to conduct a comprehensive review on the Circular Economy concept, providing a holistic view
of the existing literature on MFA and LCA, benefit in electronic waste disposal.
Circular Economy in Electronic Waste Management 5
2. Literature Review
There has been a significant increase in the number of publications devoted to studying e-
waste control in businesses due to the current emphasis by the European Commission to
adopt the CE concept (Lehtokunnas et al., 2020). Businesses and manufacturers of products such
as lamps, torches, and mobile phones are only a few examples of a wide variety of electrical and
electronic devices that are currently targeted by the circular economy concept, due to their
availability across many households globally. Lehtokunnas et al. (2020) cite that, as the pace of
technical advancement and worldwide economic growth has quickened, so too has the
importance of electronic equipment such as personal computers. This was prompted by the
exponential growth in the usage of electronic devices as a result of the digitization of daily tasks,
decreased pricing, and more discretionary money brought about by a steady rising economy of
the last decade.
Electronic waste, on the other hand, is any electrical or electronic device or component that
has been dumped without the possibility of being reused (Makov et al., 2019). In addition to
electronic waste, other terms for discarded electronics include "e-scrap" and "end-of-life" (EOL)
electronics (Islam and Huda, 2019). Given the wide range of material compositions,
functionalities, lives, and end-of-life characteristics of available electronic devices, it is crucial to
establish a sensible and practical classification system to organize this diverse set of items. Islam
and Huda (2019) cite that in 2016 European Union (EU) member states stipulated that
information should be gathered on ten different types of e-waste; however, following its reform
in 2018, the e-waste regulation now specifies six categories for reporting purposes as of August
15, 2018. According to Islam and Huda (2019), this includes everything from;
Circular Economy in Electronic Waste Management 6
1. Cooling equipment such as refrigerators, air conditioners.
2. Displays or screens, such as those found in televisions, computers, notebooks, and tablets
3. Lighting: fluorescent, light-emitting diode, and high-intensity discharge
4. Large appliances such as big machinery, including washing machines, dryers,
dishwashers, electric ovens, huge photocopiers, and solar panels.
5. Small appliances such as vacuum cleaners and microwaves.
6. Portable electronic devices include cell phones, GPS units, pocket calculators, desktop
computers, laptops, and fax machines.
Recycling e-waste in a handcrafted or amateur manner (including manual sorting, taking
apart, and open combustion) can lead to significant environmental contamination and serious
human health risks, as shown. For instance, indiscriminate disposal of e-waste in the
environment can lead to contamination soil and groundwater, with heavy metals and toxins when
disposed through landfilling or open burning, which can subsequently have negative long-lasting
effects on ecosystems and food chains (Ranjbari et al., 2021). Moreover, toxic compounds in e-
waste have also been related to a variety of other health issues, including asthma, thyroid
difficulties, anxiety, changes in how cells express and function, infant mortality, and birth
defects in humans and animals.
Given the complexities involved in e-waste management, appropriate tools are needed to
better understand e-waste generation and evaluate its associated environmental implications.
Islam and Huda (2019) cite that MFA and LCA are two tools that are increasingly adopted
electronic waste management. MFA is a promising tool in resource management and waste
management due to its ability to monitor the flow of materials into recycling facilities and
analyze material stocks over time. This approach can be used to pinpoint bottlenecks in the value
Circular Economy in Electronic Waste Management 7
chain of recycling so that necessary countermeasures can be implemented. E-waste, which
consists of both usable and dangerous materials, is a good example of a complex waste stream
that can benefit from this approach.
On the other hand, according to Withanage and Habib (2021), a life cycle assessment tool
is an efficient and well-liked environmental management technique that can evaluate a product's
or service's environmental consequences and aid in finding hotspots and improvement
opportunities. Several researchers have suggested that LCA be used to examine the ecological
impacts of various waste management strategies, including those for electronic trash. The
literature demonstrating LCA's value in waste management is expanding rapidly.
3. Methodology
MFA and LCA waste management tools were extensively analyzed by thoroughly reviewing
the electronic waste literature over the past ten years. This project involved a combination of
primary and secondary methods, drawing a major part of the content from recent studies and
reports on the circulation and recycling of electronic waste in China and other European nations.
This study gathered qualitative and quantitative data on MFA and LCA practices, challenges,
and potential solutions related to electronic waste management, by surveying and interviewing
experts in the field, manufacturers, consumers, and waste management professionals.
Articles from academic journals, newspapers, non-governmental organization publications,
and international statutes on e-waste were all reviewed for this literature analysis. This was
achieved through a thorough search of Scopus and Web of Science for the phrases Electronic
Waste and Waste Electronic appliances, that formed the basis of this review and the relevant
literature. The literature search utilized the two databases because of their size, breadth of
Circular Economy in Electronic Waste Management 8
coverage, and overall relevance to the issue. The names of any scholarly articles published after
2012 that included the terms electronic waste, or waste electronic and electrical equipment were
removed from both datasets. This is because it was assumed that these terms covered every
possible application, that would be used in any study that focused largely on e-waste.
4. analysis and Interpretation of Data
Based on the data provided, here is an analysis of the Primary and secondary surveys
conducted in Europe, both physically and online, mainly in England.
4.1 Bibliographic Network Analysis
Systematic Literature Network Analysis (SLNA), or bibliographic network analysis, is an
innovative approach to review the literature that uses quantitative measures to investigate how
research has changed its approach to a given topic over time. This method supplements
conventional qualitative evaluation hinged on content analysis by presenting a
rigorous, objective filtering and transparent representation of the development of a subject area
through time. Previous studies on the SLNA's circular economy have been analyzed using
techniques such as citation network analysis, global citation co-analysis, and keyword co-
occurrence network analysis. In this study, we used VOS viewer software to analyze
bibliographic data from 1835 studies and create a network visualization of the most frequently
occurring terms and their re-occurrence in the electronic waste research.
4.2 Demographic Factors
The data obtained in the research were collected through online interviews and
questionnaires filled out by manufacturers, consumers, and waste management professionals to
gather qualitative and quantitative data about practices, challenges, and potential solutions
Circular Economy in Electronic Waste Management 9
related to electronic waste management. The study involved 100 participants, drawn from each
of the above parameters.
4.4 Results and Findings
Research articles on waste management
An examination of the bibliographic data for these 1835 articles indicates consistent
growth in the number of publications covering the topic of electronic waste over the past decade.
The results show that the number of research publications nearly doubled around 2014 and 2021,
that further supports the necessity of the present review, which includes more current studies that
were omitted from the earlier reviews.
Circular Economy in Electronic Waste Management 10
Amount of electronic waste produced globally
Based on resources and journal researched articles, below is a diagram depicting the
interconnectedness of various continents. The chart demonstrates that one billion gadgets are
being thrown globally in terms of per capita and overall e-waste creation and collection rates.
These data reveal that Asia is responsible for most of the electronic garbage worldwide. This is
primarily attributable to China, the most technologically advanced country in Asia, which
utilizes the most technological equipment and produces the most e-waste.
Amount of e-waste Producti on Globally
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Asia Europe America Oceania Africa
Generation million tonnes per annum Per capita/Kg
Collection million tonnes per annum Recycling million tonnes per annum
Circular Economy in Electronic Waste Management 11
Reason to discard electric and electronic items
A study population of 100 electronic consumers were then interviewed to share their
reasons for the disposal of electronic waste. This was achieved through the distribution of
questionnaires and interviews. The graph below shows various reasons for discarding electronic
equipment among consumers, with additional features being the most popular reason for
disposal.
Reason to discard electronic and electric
equipments in percentages
Damaged/Non-functioning 4.5
Other reasons 2.5
Network effet 3.5
purchasing power increase 2.7
Additional features 4.3
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
Reason to discard electronic and electric equipments in percentages
5. Limitations of electronic waste disposal and Possible Mitigation Recommendations
5.1 Limitations
5.1.1 Environmental Impacts
Circular Economy in Electronic Waste Management 12
If appropriate precautions are not taken, the disposal of electronic trash can lead to
contamination. Dumping electronic garbage in landfills or illegally poses a hazard to the soil
nutrient level, which has a knock-on effect on agricultural output.
5.1.2 Health effects
The discarded devices pose a serious health risk since they contribute to widespread soil
pollution, water pollution, and wildlife endangerment.
5.1.3Time allocation
Limitations on length of work and available time should be taken into account. One potential
drawback of this assignment is the word count restriction, which may make it impossible to
provide a thorough examination of the topic. Time restraints might also be problematic because
they make an in-depth topic examination difficult.
5.2 Recommendations
This research accounted for life cycle stages within the border of electronic systems, which is
essential for managing the growing amount of e-waste. With the CE waste-system boundary
extending from the virgin processing of the old product to the reuse of the subsequent made
product, the research suggested that using second-hand electronic appliances in the system
boundary was more significant for managing electronic waste buildup. Although this study found
that reusing small electric devices significantly reduced environmental impacts, it also found that
products with energy-efficient ratings of between C to E should not be reused because their use
phase is less impactful than their production phase.
Circular Economy in Electronic Waste Management 13
6. Self-Reflection
In conclusion, by suggesting a shift from the take-make-dispose model to the take-make-
recreate model, which places greater emphasis on recycling, reuse, and remanufacturing, the
circular economy helps boost resource productivity using the methods of LCA and MFA. When
put into practice, these measures will lessen the environmental toll of producing new goods
regarding both material use and consumption of natural resources. Moreover, there is need for
more research on implementing CE concepts in electronic waste management, especially as the
CE is a relatively new area of research that is currently in development despite the many papers
highlighted through our evaluation.
Circular Economy in Electronic Waste Management 14
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