67
4.1.1 The Problem Scale
Due to rapid development in industrial nations that produce a growing amount of
Electronic-waste where the majority of Electronic-waste is produced in North
America and East Asia, respectively (Veit and Bernardes 2015a), sustainable management of Electronic-waste is considered one of the major challenges in the
twenty-first century, and it is found that countries with the highest gross domestic
product (GDP) produce more Electronic-waste due to higher industrial waste generation causing an exponential increase over time (Kusch and Hills 2017). The existence of expensive metals in the Electronic-waste stream can retain a major
economic benefit for recycling industries if appropriate techniques are used. Added
to that, recycling of Electronic-waste prevents hazardous materials from existing in
landfills which reduces harm to soil and habitats (Seeberger et al. 2016). The current
estimation of global Electronic-waste produced is approximately 41 million tonnes
at an annual increase of 3–5% per year (Kumar et al. 2017). Also, Electronic-waste
legislations cover 66% of our globe but are still considered ineffective. Thus, more
accurate Electronic-waste policies are required for more reliable recycling, data collection and waste management. Below are two major environmental concerns in
recycling facilities for Electronic-waste feedstocks, which recommend pretreatments before recycling (Kiddee et al. 2013):
• Soil contamination caused by toxic substances from non-recycled disposals and
primitive recycling processes
• Contamination of hazardous materials such as lead, mercury, arsenic, copper,
barium and chromium which have a direct impact on workers and employees
who do labour in E-waste recycling areas causing health problems
Hazardous materials in Electronic-waste affect human health and habitats during
disposals. Metals can reach up to 60.2% of Electronic-waste and electronic equipment such as refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners and televisions
which are considered as the main sources of base metals such as aluminium, copper,
lead and zinc (Veit and Bernardes 2015b). Another major problem in Electronicwaste is a generation of toxic fumes in the uncontrolled environment due to burning
or recycling activities caused by toxic materials. This includes iron, copper, aluminium and gold which form around 60% of Electronic-waste (Widmer et al. 2005).
Also, an increase in demand by communities and improvement of people’s lives has
made the electrical and electronic industry the centre of technology and attention in
modern world economies leading to more waste being generated (Öztürk 2015).
Below is a flowchart of main biological and environmental concerns from different
categories of Electronic-waste products as shown in Fig. 4.3:
4 Recent Technologies in Electronic-Waste Management
4.1.1 The Problem Scale
Due to rapid development in industrial nations that produce a growing amount of
Electronic-waste where the majority of Electronic-waste is produced in North
America and East Asia, respectively (Veit and Bernardes 2015a), sustainable management of Electronic-waste is considered one of the major challenges in the
twenty-first century, and it is found that countries with the highest gross domestic
product (GDP) produce more Electronic-waste due to higher industrial waste generation causing an exponential increase over time (Kusch and Hills 2017). The existence of expensive metals in the Electronic-waste stream can retain a major
economic benefit for recycling industries if appropriate techniques are used. Added
to that, recycling of Electronic-waste prevents hazardous materials from existing in
landfills which reduces harm to soil and habitats (Seeberger et al. 2016). The current
estimation of global Electronic-waste produced is approximately 41 million tonnes
at an annual increase of 3–5% per year (Kumar et al. 2017). Also, Electronic-waste
legislations cover 66% of our globe but are still considered ineffective. Thus, more
accurate Electronic-waste policies are required for more reliable recycling, data collection and waste management. Below are two major environmental concerns in
recycling facilities for Electronic-waste feedstocks, which recommend pretreatments before recycling (Kiddee et al. 2013):
• Soil contamination caused by toxic substances from non-recycled disposals and
primitive recycling processes
• Contamination of hazardous materials such as lead, mercury, arsenic, copper,
barium and chromium which have a direct impact on workers and employees
who do labour in E-waste recycling areas causing health problems
Hazardous materials in Electronic-waste affect human health and habitats during
disposals. Metals can reach up to 60.2% of Electronic-waste and electronic equipment such as refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners and televisions
which are considered as the main sources of base metals such as aluminium, copper,
lead and zinc (Veit and Bernardes 2015b). Another major problem in Electronicwaste is a generation of toxic fumes in the uncontrolled environment due to burning
or recycling activities caused by toxic materials. This includes iron, copper, aluminium and gold which form around 60% of Electronic-waste (Widmer et al. 2005).
Also, an increase in demand by communities and improvement of people’s lives has
made the electrical and electronic industry the centre of technology and attention in
modern world economies leading to more waste being generated (Öztürk 2015).
Below is a flowchart of main biological and environmental concerns from different
categories of Electronic-waste products as shown in Fig. 4.3:
4 Recent Technologies in Electronic-Waste Management