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Tracking the global generation and exports of e-waste: do existing estimates add up?

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Tracking the global generation and exports of e-waste: do existing estimates add up? / Breivik, Knut; Armitage, James M.; Wania, Frank et al.
In: Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 48, No. 15, 05.08.2014, p. 8735-8743.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Breivik, K, Armitage, JM, Wania, F & Jones, KC 2014, 'Tracking the global generation and exports of e-waste: do existing estimates add up?', Environmental Science and Technology, vol. 48, no. 15, pp. 8735-8743. https://doi.org/10.1021/es5021313

APA

Breivik, K., Armitage, J. M., Wania, F., & Jones, K. C. (2014). Tracking the global generation and exports of e-waste: do existing estimates add up? Environmental Science and Technology, 48(15), 8735-8743. https://doi.org/10.1021/es5021313

Vancouver

Breivik K, Armitage JM, Wania F, Jones KC. Tracking the global generation and exports of e-waste: do existing estimates add up? Environmental Science and Technology. 2014 Aug 5;48(15):8735-8743. doi: 10.1021/es5021313

Author

Breivik, Knut ; Armitage, James M. ; Wania, Frank et al. / Tracking the global generation and exports of e-waste : do existing estimates add up?. In: Environmental Science and Technology. 2014 ; Vol. 48, No. 15. pp. 8735-8743.

Bibtex

@article{b06bc1d7c7a04379a508234a30932cb5,
title = "Tracking the global generation and exports of e-waste: do existing estimates add up?",
abstract = "The transport of discarded electronic and electrical appliances (e-waste) to developing regions has received considerable attention, but it is difficult to assess the significance of this issue without a quantitative understanding of the amounts involved. The main objective of this study is to track the global transport of e-wastes by compiling and constraining existing estimates of the amount of e-waste generated domestically in each country MGEN, exported from countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) MEXP, and imported in countries outside of the OECD MIMP. Reference year is 2005 and all estimates are given with an uncertainty range. Estimates of MGEN obtained by apportioning a global total of ∼35,000 kt (range 20,000-50,000 kt) based on a nation's gross domestic product agree well with independent estimates of MGEN for individual countries. Import estimates MIMP to the countries believed to be the major recipients of e-waste exports from the OECD globally (China, India, and five West African countries) suggests that ∼5,000 kt (3,600 kt-7,300 kt) may have been imported annually to these non-OECD countries alone, which represents ∼23% (17%-34%) of the amounts of e-waste generated domestically within the OECD. MEXP for each OECD country is then estimated by applying this fraction of 23% to its MGEN. By allocating each country's MGEN, MIMP, MEXP and MNET = MGEN + MIMP - MEXP, we can map the global generation and flows of e-waste from OECD to non-OECD countries. While significant uncertainties remain, we note that estimated import into seven non-OECD countries alone are often at the higher end of estimates of exports from OECD countries.",
author = "Knut Breivik and Armitage, {James M.} and Frank Wania and Jones, {Kevin C.}",
year = "2014",
month = aug,
day = "5",
doi = "10.1021/es5021313",
language = "English",
volume = "48",
pages = "8735--8743",
journal = "Environmental Science and Technology",
issn = "0013-936X",
publisher = "American Chemical Society",
number = "15",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Tracking the global generation and exports of e-waste

T2 - do existing estimates add up?

AU - Breivik, Knut

AU - Armitage, James M.

AU - Wania, Frank

AU - Jones, Kevin C.

PY - 2014/8/5

Y1 - 2014/8/5

N2 - The transport of discarded electronic and electrical appliances (e-waste) to developing regions has received considerable attention, but it is difficult to assess the significance of this issue without a quantitative understanding of the amounts involved. The main objective of this study is to track the global transport of e-wastes by compiling and constraining existing estimates of the amount of e-waste generated domestically in each country MGEN, exported from countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) MEXP, and imported in countries outside of the OECD MIMP. Reference year is 2005 and all estimates are given with an uncertainty range. Estimates of MGEN obtained by apportioning a global total of ∼35,000 kt (range 20,000-50,000 kt) based on a nation's gross domestic product agree well with independent estimates of MGEN for individual countries. Import estimates MIMP to the countries believed to be the major recipients of e-waste exports from the OECD globally (China, India, and five West African countries) suggests that ∼5,000 kt (3,600 kt-7,300 kt) may have been imported annually to these non-OECD countries alone, which represents ∼23% (17%-34%) of the amounts of e-waste generated domestically within the OECD. MEXP for each OECD country is then estimated by applying this fraction of 23% to its MGEN. By allocating each country's MGEN, MIMP, MEXP and MNET = MGEN + MIMP - MEXP, we can map the global generation and flows of e-waste from OECD to non-OECD countries. While significant uncertainties remain, we note that estimated import into seven non-OECD countries alone are often at the higher end of estimates of exports from OECD countries.

AB - The transport of discarded electronic and electrical appliances (e-waste) to developing regions has received considerable attention, but it is difficult to assess the significance of this issue without a quantitative understanding of the amounts involved. The main objective of this study is to track the global transport of e-wastes by compiling and constraining existing estimates of the amount of e-waste generated domestically in each country MGEN, exported from countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) MEXP, and imported in countries outside of the OECD MIMP. Reference year is 2005 and all estimates are given with an uncertainty range. Estimates of MGEN obtained by apportioning a global total of ∼35,000 kt (range 20,000-50,000 kt) based on a nation's gross domestic product agree well with independent estimates of MGEN for individual countries. Import estimates MIMP to the countries believed to be the major recipients of e-waste exports from the OECD globally (China, India, and five West African countries) suggests that ∼5,000 kt (3,600 kt-7,300 kt) may have been imported annually to these non-OECD countries alone, which represents ∼23% (17%-34%) of the amounts of e-waste generated domestically within the OECD. MEXP for each OECD country is then estimated by applying this fraction of 23% to its MGEN. By allocating each country's MGEN, MIMP, MEXP and MNET = MGEN + MIMP - MEXP, we can map the global generation and flows of e-waste from OECD to non-OECD countries. While significant uncertainties remain, we note that estimated import into seven non-OECD countries alone are often at the higher end of estimates of exports from OECD countries.

U2 - 10.1021/es5021313

DO - 10.1021/es5021313

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25007134

VL - 48

SP - 8735

EP - 8743

JO - Environmental Science and Technology

JF - Environmental Science and Technology

SN - 0013-936X

IS - 15

ER -