55
3.3.2 Reductions in Emissions of Greenhouse Gases
from Recycling Electronic-Waste
Greenhouse gases are typically measured in terms of carbon dioxide (often noted as
“CO 2 ”) equivalent in tons. Greenhouse gases are by-products of most production
processes along the stages of supply chains where production inputs such as electricity and metals are used by the suppliers. So we can analyze possible reductions
in the generation of greenhouse gases resulting from the recycling of Electronicwaste. Analysis of the implications of Electronic-waste recycling for reductions in
greenhouse gas emissions along the supply chains can be done by employing the
input-output method, using the input-output tables and some relevant data of the
kinds we used in the previous Sect. 3.3.1. To save space we only present certain
summary results illustrating how the recycling of Electronic-waste could potentially
reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and hence contribute to the possible solution
to the global warming problem.
We are particularly interested in measuring the impact of the following government policy-driven form of recycling of Electronic-waste on the reductions in the
generation of greenhouse gas emissions (measured in carbon dioxide equivalent
measured in tons) generated from the production processes. The particular government policy of our interest to analyze here is called the Eco Policy, which gives
some (not insignificant) rewards to the users of older-generation home appliances if
they recycle them and buy newer more energy-efficient appliances with equivalent
functions. (See, e.g., Japanese Ministry of Environment (2011), Japan Environmental
Management Association for Industry (2013, 2017), and Hotta et al. (2014), for
details of this policy.)
Rewards are given in terms of some level of subsidy for the purchase of newergeneration appliances. Based on the actual implementation of this social experiment, many (but not all) consumers owning older energy-inefficient appliances had
chosen to recycle their old appliances and buy newer appliances using the rewards.
The Eco Policy was implemented for a limited period of May 2009–March 2011.
The appliances covered in this program are air conditioners, refrigerators, and television sets. The analysis reported in the Japanese Ministry of Environment (2011)
divides the periods of analysis into three time periods: May 2009–March 2010, April
2010–December 2010, and January 2011–March 2011. Given the initial consumers
who own particular appliances, some fractions of them choose to replace their old
products with new ones. They benefit from the Eco Policy and their information is
shown under the “replacement purchase.” Some consumers who did not own particular appliances may choose to buy new units. Their information is shown under
“new unit purchase.” In the last period, January 2011–March 2011, only “new unit
purchase” occurs since replacements are no longer allowed under the Eco Policy.
Using carbon dioxide emission rates and the power consumption rates estimated
elsewhere for older and newer appliances, the difference in the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that were saved by consumers’ purchases of newer appliances
is calculated and shown in Table 3.9. The total reductions in carbon dioxide
3 An Economic Assessment of Present and Future Electronic-Waste Streams: Japan’s…
3.3.2 Reductions in Emissions of Greenhouse Gases
from Recycling Electronic-Waste
Greenhouse gases are typically measured in terms of carbon dioxide (often noted as
“CO 2 ”) equivalent in tons. Greenhouse gases are by-products of most production
processes along the stages of supply chains where production inputs such as electricity and metals are used by the suppliers. So we can analyze possible reductions
in the generation of greenhouse gases resulting from the recycling of Electronicwaste. Analysis of the implications of Electronic-waste recycling for reductions in
greenhouse gas emissions along the supply chains can be done by employing the
input-output method, using the input-output tables and some relevant data of the
kinds we used in the previous Sect. 3.3.1. To save space we only present certain
summary results illustrating how the recycling of Electronic-waste could potentially
reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and hence contribute to the possible solution
to the global warming problem.
We are particularly interested in measuring the impact of the following government policy-driven form of recycling of Electronic-waste on the reductions in the
generation of greenhouse gas emissions (measured in carbon dioxide equivalent
measured in tons) generated from the production processes. The particular government policy of our interest to analyze here is called the Eco Policy, which gives
some (not insignificant) rewards to the users of older-generation home appliances if
they recycle them and buy newer more energy-efficient appliances with equivalent
functions. (See, e.g., Japanese Ministry of Environment (2011), Japan Environmental
Management Association for Industry (2013, 2017), and Hotta et al. (2014), for
details of this policy.)
Rewards are given in terms of some level of subsidy for the purchase of newergeneration appliances. Based on the actual implementation of this social experiment, many (but not all) consumers owning older energy-inefficient appliances had
chosen to recycle their old appliances and buy newer appliances using the rewards.
The Eco Policy was implemented for a limited period of May 2009–March 2011.
The appliances covered in this program are air conditioners, refrigerators, and television sets. The analysis reported in the Japanese Ministry of Environment (2011)
divides the periods of analysis into three time periods: May 2009–March 2010, April
2010–December 2010, and January 2011–March 2011. Given the initial consumers
who own particular appliances, some fractions of them choose to replace their old
products with new ones. They benefit from the Eco Policy and their information is
shown under the “replacement purchase.” Some consumers who did not own particular appliances may choose to buy new units. Their information is shown under
“new unit purchase.” In the last period, January 2011–March 2011, only “new unit
purchase” occurs since replacements are no longer allowed under the Eco Policy.
Using carbon dioxide emission rates and the power consumption rates estimated
elsewhere for older and newer appliances, the difference in the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that were saved by consumers’ purchases of newer appliances
is calculated and shown in Table 3.9. The total reductions in carbon dioxide
3 An Economic Assessment of Present and Future Electronic-Waste Streams: Japan’s…