2002–2022: 20 years of e-waste regulation in the European Union and the worldwide trends in legislation and innovation technologies for a circular economy
Article
Serpe, A., Purchase, D., Bisschop, L., Chatterjee, D., De Gioannis, G., Garelick, H., Kumar, A., Peijnenburg, W.J.G.M., Piro, V.M.I., Cera, M., Shevah, Y. and Verbeek, S. 2024. 2002–2022: 20 years of e-waste regulation in the European Union and the worldwide trends in legislation and innovation technologies for a circular economy. RSC Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SU00548A
Type | Article |
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Title | 2002–2022: 20 years of e-waste regulation in the European Union and the worldwide trends in legislation and innovation technologies for a circular economy |
Authors | Serpe, A., Purchase, D., Bisschop, L., Chatterjee, D., De Gioannis, G., Garelick, H., Kumar, A., Peijnenburg, W.J.G.M., Piro, V.M.I., Cera, M., Shevah, Y. and Verbeek, S. |
Abstract | Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE or e-waste) has emerged as a formidable global waste stream, reflecting the mounting demand for technology in our interconnected world. Over the past two decades, besides a world facing a rapid digital, e-mobility, and green energy transition, there has been a growing recognition across the globe, among both society and industries, regarding the hazards and opportunities linked to e-waste management. This collective consciousness has driven the adoption of best practices, including the implementation of circular economy (CE) models, fostering environmentally sustainable production and recycling processes. With a rate of around the 72% of the global population (81 countries) reached by specific regulations by 2023, this review explores the evolving landscape of international legislation and emerging technologies designed for e-waste prevention and valorization, emphasizing low-environmental impact and sustainability. Despite a prolific scientific community (papers published on e-waste grew over 1000 times in the period 2002–2022) and the rise in good practices in different countries, the modest increase of innovation patents (rate of around 50% increase) and the limited number of industrially established innovation processes demonstrates that while the advancing technologies are promising, they remain in an early, embryonic stage. This paper offers a concise review of life cycle assessments from existing literature to underpin the technological advancements discussed. These assessments provide insights into the reduced environmental footprint of various innovative processes aimed at enhancing the circular economy and incorporating them into the emerging concept of safe- and sustainable-by-design. Meanwhile, global e-waste production rose from an estimated 34 Mt in 2010 to 62 Mt in 2022, while documented proper collection and recycling only increased from 8 Mt to 13.8 Mt over the same period. This shows that e-waste generation is growing nearly five times faster than formal recycling. Furthermore, if waste management activities remain at 2022 levels, a projected economic (benefit – costs) deficit of 40 billion USD is expected by 2030. It is time for communities to reverse the trend by expanding good practices and implementing technology-economic-environment sustainable and efficient circular economy models. |
Keywords | E-waste Management; Resource Recovery; Electric and Electronic Equipment; Eco-innovation; Sustainable Technology |
Sustainable Development Goals | 12 Responsible consumption and production |
Middlesex University Theme | Sustainability |
Research Group | Biodiversity, Conservation, Environment and Sustainability |
Publisher | Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) |
Journal | RSC Sustainability |
ISSN | |
Electronic | 2753-8125 |
Publication dates | |
Online | 06 Nov 2024 |
Publication process dates | |
Submitted | 04 Sep 2024 |
Accepted | 06 Nov 2024 |
Deposited | 19 Nov 2024 |
Output status | Published |
Publisher's version | License File Access Level Open |
Copyright Statement | This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SU00548A |
Web of Science identifier | WOS:001356446100001 |
Language | English |
https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/1w96w2
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