TY - JOUR

T1 - Extractivism, Value and Waste

T2 - Organizational Mining of e-Waste in the United Kingdom

AU - Stowell, Alison Frances

AU - Brigham, Martin Patrick

PY - 2018/4/1

Y1 - 2018/4/1

N2 - In this paper we critically evaluate the mining and extraction of e-waste – electronic waste – and the relationship with the emerging cleaner and greener economy. Drawing on ethnographic data, gathered from an e-waste management organization – e-WasteOrg, we show how e-waste and value are assembled, extracted and circulated within local, national and global contexts. To date little attention has been paid to interdependent systems of waste and value. We argue that e-WasteOrg operates polyphonically in order to secure, routinize and circulate the ongoing disposal of e-waste. Extracting waste becomes associated with a range of differentiated value systems, as sourcing and valuing waste is a continual concern for those in the waste management sector. As more waste is sought, we conclude that a cleaner and greener economy is both constricting in terms of new market entrants and expanding as waste management actors mine for materials across value systems.Keywords: e-waste, extractivism, mining, value, waste, green economy, circular economy

AB - In this paper we critically evaluate the mining and extraction of e-waste – electronic waste – and the relationship with the emerging cleaner and greener economy. Drawing on ethnographic data, gathered from an e-waste management organization – e-WasteOrg, we show how e-waste and value are assembled, extracted and circulated within local, national and global contexts. To date little attention has been paid to interdependent systems of waste and value. We argue that e-WasteOrg operates polyphonically in order to secure, routinize and circulate the ongoing disposal of e-waste. Extracting waste becomes associated with a range of differentiated value systems, as sourcing and valuing waste is a continual concern for those in the waste management sector. As more waste is sought, we conclude that a cleaner and greener economy is both constricting in terms of new market entrants and expanding as waste management actors mine for materials across value systems.Keywords: e-waste, extractivism, mining, value, waste, green economy, circular economy

KW - e-waste

KW - extractivism

KW - mining

KW - value

KW - waste

KW - green economy

KW - circular economy

U2 - 10.3240/89695

DO - 10.3240/89695

M3 - Journal article

VL - 2018

SP - 75

EP - 95

JO - Etnografia e Ricerca Qualitativa

JF - Etnografia e Ricerca Qualitativa

IS - 1

ER -