Informal e-waste recycling in China - an investigation into informal e-waste recycling and households' disposal behaviour in China

摘要

There is growing concern about environmental and health issues resulting from the unregulated disposal and treatment of e-waste in the developing world. The bulk of China’s e-waste is handled by informal recyclers who rely upon processing activities that release and generate considerable quantities of polluting and toxic substances which can cause serious negative consequences to the environment and human health. Although many formal collection schemes and advanced treatment facilities have been established in China, it remains difficult for formal recyclers to gain adequate quantities and consistency of supply of e-waste resources. This is mainly because the formal collection channels are not yet effective in China and as a result of competition from the informal recycling sector. This research investigates the advantages enjoyed by the informal recycling sectors and household preferences for their services and suggests ways of applying those advantages to the formal recycling sector. This research considers China’s e-waste recovery and processing operation and is conducted with the overall goal of understanding informal e-waste recycling in China. This thesis investigates the limitations and advantages of the Chinese informal e-waste recycling sector. It explores households’ e-waste recycling behaviour to identify opportunities for improving current formal and informal collection channels. The research methodology is chiefly conducted by literature review, comparative studies and by fieldwork involving questionnaires, interviews and photographic observation. The original contribution to knowledge this research makes is the greater understanding of household preferences for informal collection, as well as characteristics of the informal recycling sector. This research indicates that the informal recycling sector enjoys significant advantages over the formal recycling sector in China, including their convenient door-to-door collection service, high accessibility, and efficient and flexible transaction tactics. Informal e-waste collection and dismantling operations, as well as reselling and repair service in second-hand markets, are highly preferred services for households. Consequently, it recommends that the stakeholders within the sector that are ‘cost-effective’ and less polluting, should be preserved and encouraged.