Improving electronic waste processing by the informal sector to enhance sustainability

摘要

In the 21st century, electronic waste (e-waste) recycling still faces many challenges, including a rapid growth in the generation of e-wastes (54 million metric tonnes worldwide in 2019 and the continuing reliance on unregulated recy-clers (the informal sector) in developing countries to receive and process e-wastes from both developed and developing countries. Some developing countries, such as Thailand and Indonesia, in particular, lack proper e-waste handling, treatment and management facilities and regulations or enforcement by either government agencies or industry associations. As a result, e-waste in these countries is typically processed using primitive methods (Table 1), such as manual separation of valuable materials, often enhanced by open burning of insulation and other organics (Baidya et al., 2019). These unregulated practices, sometimes conducted outdoors, create substantial environmental degradation and health hazards for those informal sector labourers and residents in nearby areas, who are exposed to toxic materials such as lead, flame retardants and polychlorinated biphenyls (Awasthi et al., 2018).