Electronic waste

Electronic waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams. The content of this waste has critical importance for the development or adoption of new recycling techniques and safe waste management practices. In this study, printed circuit boards and screens of three different types of electronic wastes, such as old mobile phones, smartphones, and laptops were characterized for their heavy metal, precious metal, and rare earth element contents. Three different digestion methods were applied to the samples prior to ICP-OES analysis. Results showed that Cu, Fe, Zn, Ni, Pb, and Al were found to be the main heavy metals in all samples. Nd, Ag, and Au were found as the major precious metals, followed by Pt, La, Dy, Pr, and Ce in the rare earth element category. The contents indicated that there is an urgent need to develop recycling techniques for the recovery of these valuable materials. When the digestion methods were compared to each other, it was found that different methods performed better on different types of metals.

International trade of discarded electronics (e-waste) has become a matter of concern over the last decade because of the actual and potential harms associated with their hazardous materials. An initiative under the aegis of the UN called the Best-of-Two-Worlds (Bo2W) philosophy is one solution to the e-waste problem that has gained some traction. Our dual purpose is to examine the ethical grounds of Bo2W and to propose an alternative program for action. We call this alternative ethical electronics repair, reuse, repurposing, and recycling (EER4). To explore the ethical grounds of Bo2W and to articulate EER4 as an alternative, we draw on notions of ethics, technology, and organization developed in science and technology studies (STS) and diverse economies literatures while empirically we explore a mixed methods case study of a small recycling firm in northern Mexico. Conceptually and empirically, our analysis points to a need for a richer imagination of the possibilities for economic action oriented toward managing discarded electronics. More broadly, our findings may act as a reminder that the space between use and discard proliferates the literal and figurative resources for enriching the imagination and enactment of diverse economic possibilities via the action of repair, reuse, repurposing, and recycling.

E-waste printed circuit boards (PCB) of computers, mobile-phones, televisions, LX (LongXiang) PCB in LED lights and bulbs, and tube-lights were crushed to ≥250 µm particle size and 16 different metals were analysed. A comparative study has been carried out to evaluate the extraction of Cu-Zn-Ni from computer printed circuit boards (c-PCB) and mobile-phone printed circuit boards (m-PCB) by chemical and biological methods. Chemical process showed the extraction of Cu-Zn-Ni by ferric sulphate was best among the studied chemical lixiviants. Bioleaching experiments were carried out with the iron oxidising consortium, which showed that when E-waste and inoculum were added simultaneously in the medium (one-step process); 60.33% and 87.50% Cu, 75.67% and 85.67% Zn and 71.09% and 81.87% Ni were extracted from 10 g L(-1) of c-PCB and m-PCB, respectively, within 10-15 days of reaction time. Whereas, E-waste added after the complete oxidation of Fe(2+) to Fe(3+) iron containing medium (two-step...

Electronic waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world. Electronic waste, if not disposed properly, may cause devastating problems to the environment and to the health of both humans and animals. The importance of electronic waste proper disposal should be practiced at all times. The community should have the right perspective about this issue and should be knowledgeable about the impact of electronic waste to the environment and living organisms. Everyone who owns electronic devices should know the proper way of disposing their electronic devices once it is rendered useless. Taking this issue into a local context, this study sought to evaluate the student's knowledge, attitude and practices regarding the disposal of electronic waste. The study was conducted in Silliman University (SU); the respondents of the research are students from the different departments of the said institution-from Senior High School to the various Colleges. The study collected data from exactly 50 respondents. The purpose of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of the students in Silliman University regarding electronic waste and to check their capability of disposing their electronic waste properly. The researchers believe that this study is crucial in today's time and hold great influence to the next step of any organization who wishes to further facilitate or spread information and awareness regarding electronic waste. The study discovered that students from SU, indeed, have a high level of awareness regarding electronic waste. Specifically, they are pegged at a high level for both knowledge and practices, and a very high level for attitudes. This fulfills the null hypothesis, which is "Silliman University students show a high level of awareness about electronic waste." The researchers recommend that more time and depth be given for future studies on this topic and related matter, especially regarding the data collection, as time was highly limited then. Furthermore, while students already show a high level of general awareness on the issue, it is still imperative to create programs and policies regarding it, at least in a local setting, in order to further increase these and shore up the weaker aspects regarding the problem as the data shows (i.e. the knowledge and practices). This will ensure the minimization of electronic waste, which is a massive boon to preserving the environment.

This paper for the first time aims to valorize the environmental and economic values of electronic waste recycling for member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) from the year 2018 up to 2040. GCC countries have a unique situation due to the significant economic growth with the resulting urbanization and population growth accompanied by high standards of living that in turn increase all types of waste. A direct link among the living standards and quantity of electronic waste production is observed in the GCC states. The annual growth of electronic waste in GCC is 3-5% while the current estimated electronic waste generation exceeds 52.2 million metric tonnes (Mt). In 2018, GCC states generated 857 kilotonnes (kt) electronic waste that would be 1.094 Mt by 2040. KSA, among the GCC states, generated the highest amount of electronic waste (533 kt) in 2018 that would be 675 kt by 2040. GCC countries are on the right track of developing policies and regulations for managing electronic waste. However, more efforts are required to ensure the implementation of these regulations. The findings of this study would be a base for the future studies in the electronic waste sector in the GCC region and a novel initiative for GCC to develop a unified free zone for the electronic waste recycling that will meet the local, regional, and international standards and regulations. This unified GCC initiative has substantial economic and environmental benefits for the region.