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Proceedings of the International Academy of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 2022, 12(4): 281-293
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Article

E-waste management status worldwide: Major challenges and solutions

Abdolmajid Fadaei
Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran

Received 18 July 2022;Accepted 25 August 2022;Published online 26 August 2022;Published 1 December 2022
IAEES

Abstract
The e-waste stream has been intensified considerably over the recent decade causing its management to be a significant challenge to our world. This research aimed to investigate and assess the status quo of e-waste management in different countries. We systematically searched Embase, PubMed, Scopus, PubMed Central (PMC), Google Scholar databases, as well as medRxiv using the following key-words: waste electronics, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), medical waste, material flow analysis, e-waste recycling, waste management, disposal, e-waste per-capita generation. A total of 48 eligible articles were identified. E-waste management practices are examined for 15 countries, including China, US, Malaysia, Botswana, Australia, Korea, Brazil, Finland, Sweden, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Jordan, India, Tanzania, and Iran. The systems for e-waste management in these countries vary considerably. The highest (30 kg/capita-year) and the lowest (0.8 kg/capita-year) rate of generation was found in the US and Tanzania, respectively. The rate of e-waste generation (kg/capita-year) was positively correlated with gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (USD) in various countries. About 73% of countries used landfill, while approximately 87% of countries used recycling (safe/ unsafe) for all e-waste. E-waste components include various hazardous materials like e.g., halogenated substances, heavy metals, radioactive compounds and micro and nano-size particles all of which need appropriate handling during the segregation, collection, storage, recycling, disposal and treatment phases.

Keywords e-waste;gross domestic product (GDP);management;challenges;recycling.

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