Technologies for Sustainable e-Waste Management Solutions

Technologies for Sustainable
e-Waste Management
Solutions
Ernesto E. Empig, DiSDS ICT4SD
MSU – Iligan Institute of Technology
Professor: Dr. Ermelinda Tobias
ErnestoE.Empig,DiSDSICT4SD;
Faculty:ErmelindaTobias

Sustainable e-waste
Management
System
3R Implementation
Technology
E-waste Categories
Policies
Initiatives

E-Waste Categories
WEEEDirective(EU,2002a)
• “Electrical or electronic equipment which is waste
including all components, subassemblies and
consumables, which are part of the product at the
time of discarding.”
• Directive 75/442/EEC, Article 1(a) defines “waste” as
“any substance or object which the holder disposes of
or is required to dispose of pursuant to the provisions
of national law in force.”

Directive 2002/96/EC(WEEE)
Annex IA
• (a) ‘electrical and electronic equipment’ or ‘EEE’ means
equipment which is dependent on electrical currents or
electromagnetic fields in order to work properly and
equipment for the generation, transfer and measurement
of such current and fields falling under the categories set
out in Annex IA to Directive 2002/96/EC (WEEE) and
designed for use with a voltage rating not exceeding 1000
volts for alternating current and 1500 volts for direct
current
E-Waste Volume 1: Inventory Assessment Manual, Copyright © United Nations Environment
Programme, 2007 p. 15-18

Categories of electrical and electronic
equipment covered by this Directive
1. Large household appliances
2. Small household appliances
3. IT and telecommunications equipment
4. Consumer equipment
5. Lighting equipment
6. Electrical and electronic tools (with the exception of large-scale stationary
industrial tools)
7. Toys, leisure and sports equipment
8. Medical devices (with the exception of all implanted and infected products)
9. Monitoring and control instruments
10. Automatic dispensers

• Large cooling appliances
• Refrigerators
• Freezers
• Other large appliances used for refrigeration,
conservation and storage of food
• Washing machines
• Clothes dryers
• Dish washing machines

• Cooking
• Electric hot plates
• Microwaves
• Other large appliances used for cooking and other
processing of food
• Electric heating appliances
• Electric radiators
• Other fanning, exhaust ventilation and conditioning
equipment

Small household appliances
• Vacuum cleaners
• Carpet sweepers
• Other appliances for cleaning
• Appliances used for sewing, knitting, weaving and
other processing for textiles
• Iron and other appliances for ironing, mangling and
other care of clothing
• Toasters

Small household appliances
• Fryers
• Grinders, coffee machines and equipment for opening or
sealing containers or packages
• Electric knives
• Appliances for hair-cutting, hair drying, tooth brushing,
shaving, massage and other body care appliances
• Clocks, watches and equipment for the purpose of
measuring indicating or registering time Scales.

IT and telecommunications equipment
• Centralized data processing
• Mainframes
• Minicomputers
• Printer units
• Personal computing:
• Personal computers (CPU, mouse, screen and keyboard
included)
• Laptop computer (CPU, mouse, screen and keyboard
included)
• Notebook computers
• Notepad computers

• Printers
• Copying equipment
• Electrical and electronic typewriters
• Pocket and desk calculators And other products and
equipment for the collection, storage, processing,
presentation or communication of information by
electronic means
• User terminals and systems

• Facsimile, Telex, Telephones
• Pay telephones
• Cordless telephones
• Cellular telephones
• Answering systems
• And other products or equipment of transmitting
sound, images or other information by
telecommunications

4. Consumer equipment
• Radio sets
• Television sets
• Video cameras
• Video recorders
• Hi-fi recorders
• Audio amplifiers
• Musical instruments
• Other products or equipment for the purpose of recording or
reproducing sound or image, including signals or other technologies
for the distribution of sound and image than by telecommunications

5. Lighting equipment
• Luminaries for fluorescent lamps with the exception
of luminaries in households
• Straight fluorescent lamps
• Compact fluorescent lamps
• High intensity discharge lamps, including pressure
sodium lamps and metal lamps
• Low pressure sodium lamps
• Other lighting or equipment for the purpose of
spreading or controlling light with the exception of
filament bulbs

6.Electrical andelectronic tools (with the exception large-
scalestationary industrial tools)
• Drills
• Saws
• Sewing machines
• Equipment for turning, milling, sanding, grinding, sawing, cutting,
shearing, drilling, making, holes, punching, folding, bending or
similar processing of wood, metal and other materials
• Tools for riveting, nailing or screwing or removing rivets, nails, screws
or similar uses
• Tools for welding, soldering or similar use
• Equipment for spraying, spreading, dispersing or other treatment of
liquid or gaseous substances by other means
• Tools for mowing or other gardening activities

7. Toys, leisure and sports equipment
• Electric trains or car racing sets
• Hand-held video game consoles
• Video games
• Computers for biking, diving, running, rowing,
etc.
• Sports equipment with electric or electronic
components
• Coin slot machines

8. Medical devices (with the exception of all
implanted and infected products)
• Radiotherapy equipment
• Cardiology
• Dialysis
• Pulmonary ventilators
• Nuclear medicine
• Laboratory equipment for in-vitro diagnosis
• Analysers
• Freezers
• Fertilization tests
• Other appliances for detecting, preventing, monitoring,
treating, alleviating illness, injury or disability

9. Monitoring and controlinstruments
• Smoke detector
• Heating regulators
• Thermostats
• Measuring, weighing or adjusting appliances for
household or as laboratory equipment
• Other monitoring and control instruments used in
industrial installations (e.g. in control panels)

10. Automatic dispensers
• Automatic dispensers for hot drinks
• Automatic dispensers for hot or cold bottles or cans
• Automatic dispensers for solid products
• Automatic dispensers for money
• All appliances which deliver automatically all kind of
products

CurrentPracticesof WEEE/E-wasteManagement
• Current practices of WEEE/ E-waste management provides an
understanding of policy/laws/ regulations and institutional
framework related to WEEE/ E-waste management.
• At first, existing policy/ laws/ regulations and institutional
framework related to WEEE/ Ewaste management in developed
countries is presented.
• This is followed by an exposition on developing countries and
initiatives undertaken by different agencies in addressing the
gaps globally.
• Finally, guidance notes provide a broad road map to assist in
developing enabling policy/ laws/ regulations and institutional
framework for WEEE/ Ewaste management.
E-Waste Volume 2: e-Waste Mangement Manual, Copyright © United Nations Environment Programme, 2007 p. 25

National and Social Policies/ Laws/
Regulations/ Institutional Roles in Developed
Countries

1. Policies/ Laws/ Regulation
• “Extended Producer Responsibility” or “Product Take Back”
forms the basis of policy framework in developed countries.
• WEEE directives provide a regulatory basis for collection,
recovery and reuse/ recycling targets in EU (European Union)
• The fundamental principle of WEEE directive is “Extended
Producer Responsibility”, where producers are responsible for
WEEE/ E-waste take back.
• Countries like Japan have regulations focused on “Reuse,
Recycling and Recovery”.
• Other countries like Canada and Australia are developing their
systems based on the similar principles of “Extended Producer
Responsibility”.

2. Institutional Mechanism
•Institutional mechanism for WEEE/E-
waste management system has been
described in terms of three elements:
1. Collection Systems
2. National Registry
3. Logistics

Collection Systems
• Regulation in each country provides the basis of WEEE/ E-waste
collection system. There are two generic categories of
collection systems at national level i.e. “collective system
(monopoly)” and competition based “clearing house system”
for managing WEEE/E-waste.
• The collective system is a system which is responsible for
collection, recycling and financing of all or major part of
WEEE/ E-waste within national boundaries.
• The clearing house system is a system in which multiple
partners (producers, recyclers, and waste organizations) can
provide services on a competitive basis. The government
ensures that there is a register of producers and it defines
the allocation mechanisms, and reporting and monitoring
systems.

National Registry
• Any registered body/ agency, which maintains the
register of producers/ recyclers/ waste organizations,
inventory of WEEE/E-waste has been defined as
national registry.
• This body/ agency can also determine collection
obligation of each producer and ensure equitable
compliance.
• This body/ agency could be any government entity or
a non-profit organization recogniz

Logistics
• There are three primary channels of WEEE/E-waste collection;
municipal collection sites, retailer take-back, and producer take-back.
• All the three channels address “Business to Consumer” (B2C) and
“Business to Business” (B2B) WEEE/Ewaste collection. Generally,
municipal collection sites are usually free for households to use to an
unlimited extent while take-back through retailers is usually free but
can be dependent upon the purchase of a new product (both B2C
and B2B).
• The direct producer take-back system may apply to larger
commercial equipment and operates on a new for old basis (B2B).

3.2NationalandSocialPolicies/Laws/Regulations/Economic/
InstitutionalRolesinDevelopingCountries

Initiativesof Different Agencies
• Basel Convention
• G-8 3Rs Initiative
• StEP - Solving the E-waste Problem
• UNEP/ DTIE (IETC)
• GeSI: Global e-Sustainability Initiative
• Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs
(SECO)
• GTZ now known as GIZ

Basel Convention
• The Basel Convention on the Control of
Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and
their Disposal was adopted on 22 March 1989 by the
Conference of Plenipotentiaries in Basel, Switzerland,
in response to a public outcry following the discovery,
in the 1980s, in Africa and other parts of the
developing world of deposits of toxic wastes imported
from abroad.
• The Convention entered into force on 5 May 1992
and, as of 1 January 2011, there are 175 Parties to the
Convention.

Basel Convention

G-8 3Rs Initiative
• The Ministerial Conference on 3Rs Initiatives, held in April 2005
in Tokyo, formally launched the 3Rs Initiative agreed upon by
the G8 leaders at the Sea Island Summit.
• During the Conference, participating countries and
organizations shared information on 3R-related activities.
• The Basel Secretarial works closely with 3Rs initiative on E-
waste issue.
• Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, United
Kingdom, United States of America - Also represented
European Union

http://www.env.go.jp/recycle/3r/en/index.html

StEP - Solving the E-waste Problem
• The StEP initiative, developed in 1984 and formally launched in March 2007,
is based in the UN University, Bonn, Germany. The StEP initiative is the
offspring of UNU, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN
Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
• Other prominent charter partners include the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),
University of California at Berkeley, the Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Technical University Vienna (Austria), French National Institute of
Telecommunication (France), Technical University Delft (Netherlands),
University of Melbourne (Australia), State Secretary of Economics and EMPA
(Switzerland), Regional Environmental Centre (Hungary), the Korea Institute
of Geoscience & Mineral Resources, and Umicore Precious Metal Refining
(Belgium).

http://www.step-initiative.org/

UNEP/ DTIE (IETC)
• UNEP through International Environmental
Technology Centre (IETC) is implementing “Integrated
Solid Waste Management Project” based on 3Rs
(reduce, reuse and recycle).
• ISWM covers all types of wastes in an integrated
manner. UNEP DTIE-IETC is also focusing on WEEE/E-
waste management and is developing three manuals
on WEEE/E-waste assessment, WEEE/E-waste
management and WEEE/e-waste “Take back system”

http://www.unep.org/dtie/Branches/IETC/tabid
/29689/Default.aspx

GeSI: Global e-Sustainability Initiative
• The Secretary to GeSI is located in UNEP/DTIE. It is an industrial
organisation for which a membership fee is paid annually to run
the Secretariat and handle other administrative matters.
• GeSI consists of Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
service providers and suppliers, with the support of the United
Nations Environment Programme and International
Telecommunication Union.
• Their objectives are to share their experience and knowledge,
work with stakeholders, manage their own private sector
operations in a sustainable way, raise awareness of the
contribution ICT can make to society and engage in research and
benchmarking.

GeSI: Global e-Sustainability Initiative

Swiss State Secretariat for Economic
Affairs (SECO)
• SECO along with Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials
Testing and Research (EMPA) has designed and implementing
the global program "Knowledge Partnerships in E-waste
Recycling".
• EMPA is studying the situation of E-waste recycling in
developing and transition countries. The program expects to
share knowledge and experience gained through this system
and to establish "Knowledge Partnerships in E-waste
Recycling".
• The project is being implemented in India, China, Chile,
Columbia and South Africa. The programme is split into two
complementary parts: "Knowledge Management" and
"Capacity Building".

http://www.seco.admin.ch/?lang=en

GTZ now known as GIZ
• GTZ is supporting WEEE/E-waste initiatives in different countries. As
part of its advisory services, it is supporting Indo-European E-waste
Initiative, apart of Indo German Environment Program, known as
Advisory Services in Environmental Management (ASEM 2002-2008).
It has also supported programme on WEEE/E-waste assessment in
Yemen.

http://www.giz.de/en/#

THE 3R – Redesign,
Reuse and Recycle

1. Redesign
•This Task Force is dedicated to product
design aspects. We contribute to the StEP
aim of solving the e-waste problem by
fostering the re-design of electric and
electronic equipment (EEE) in order to
reduce negative impacts of their entire
life cycle.

Vision
• By moving the design of EEE towards enabling closed loops, EEE
should not cause harm to the environment at end-of-life during
either appropriate or uncontrolled treatment methods. Design
should further encourage (with the following hierarchy except when
it may be environmentally detrimental):
(1) Lifetime extension (including product reuse and repair);
(2) Refurbishment;
(3) Recovery of components for reuse;
(4) Recovery of materials for recycling.

Objectives, topics and tasks

2. Reuse

Activity-oriented view on re-use terminology

Re-use Defined (waste hierarchy)
1. Potential for re-use
2. Re-use
3. Preparation for Re-use
4. Remanufacture
5. Refurbish (=Recondition)
6. Repair
7. Upgrade
8. Remarket
9. Redeploy
10.Donate

Differentiation of alternative activities in
preparation for re-use

3. ReCycle
• Our Taskforce: ReCycle
• The major aim of this Task Force is to enhance infrastructures, systems
and technologies to realize sustainable e-waste recycling, especially in
industrializing countries. As a neutral arena we want to initiate
international, inter-stakeholder cooperative activities and dialogues on a
scientific basis in order to find economically, environmentally and socially
sound solutions.
• Overall Aim
• The aim of the Taskforce Recycling is to enhance global recycling
infrastructures, systems and technologies realizing sustainable e-waste-
recycling systems.

Objectives, topics and tasks
• Assess the most relevant environmental, economic and social
characteristics of e-waste recycling in the industrialized world
• Perform recycling system evaluations leading to
recommendations for long-term development of eco-efficient
resource cycles
• Analyse complexities of transboundary shipments and
logistics of e-waste and its underlying driving forces, dynamics,
regulations and the constraints for sustainable resource
• Identify and describe best available and emerging
technologies for e-waste treatment in industrializing and
industrialized countries

• Support legislative and policy development
bodies with roadmaps and strategies to reduce environmental
and social problems
• Investigate appropriate financing mechanisms for different
countries and markets
• Identify and assess the required cross-border
infrastructure including the possibilities to control safe
treatment and corresponding policy implications
• Enhance communication and transfer
• Of e-waste treatment technologies to facilitate growth in
capacity and environmental/social quality of electronics
recycling infrastructure
• Of the implications of treatment technologies,
environmental issues, economic possibilities and social
dimensions into e-waste management strategies
• Activate and improve networks for monitoring and
supervising relevant waste streams

Current WEEE System in South Africa [56, 58]

WEEE/ E-waste
Treatment
Technology

Treatment Schemes for WEEE/ E-waste

1st level

2nd and 3rd levels

Table 3.1: Components in WEEE

Table 3.3: Recoverable quantity of
elements in a PC

• All the three levels of WEEE/ E-waste treatment systems are
based on material flow. The material flows from first level to
third level treatment. Each level treatment consists of unit
operations, where E-waste is treated and output of first level
treatment serves as input to second level treatment. After the
third level treatment, the residues are disposed of either in
hazardous waste landfill or incinerated. The efficiency of
operations at first and second level determines the quantity of
residues going to hazardous waste landfill site or incineration.
Most of the E-waste treatment facilities in other countries
consist of first and second level treatment at one place, while
third level treatment is geographically located at other place.
The description of treatment at each level is given in terms of
input, unit operations and output in the following sections.

Treatment areas
1. Impermeable surfaces for appropriate areas with appropriate
spillage collection facilities and, where appropriate,
decanters and degreasers.
2. Appropriate storage for dissembled spare parts.
3. Appropriate containers for storage of batteries, capacitors
containing PCBs or PCTS, and other hazardous waste such as
radioactive waste.
4. Equipment for the treatment of water, including rainwater.
5. (Suitable) balances for measuring the weight of treated
waste.

Guideline for treatment areas
• Weatherproof covering
• Impermeable surfaces
• Spillage collection facilities
• Equipment for treatment of water
• Storage for disassembled parts
• Storage for other components and residues
• Balances

ExamplesofWEEE/E-waste collectionsystems(impermeable
surfaces&weatherproofcoverings)atacollectionfacility

First Level WEEE/E-waste Treatment
• Input: E-waste items like TV, refrigerator and Personal Computers
(PC)
• Unit Operations: Following three unit operations occur at first
level of treatment
• 1. Removal of all liquids and Gases
• 2. Dismantling (manual)
• 3. Segregation
• Output:
• 1. Segregated hazardous wastes like CFC, Mercury (Hg) Switches,
CRT, batteries and capacitors
• 2. Decontaminated E-waste consisting of segregated non-
hazardous E-waste like plastic, circuit board and cables

• All the three unit operations are dry processes,
which do not require use of water. The first
step is to decontaminate E-waste and render it
non-hazardous. This involves removal of all
types of liquids and gases (if any) under
negative pressure, and their recovery and
storage. Further, all other hazardous WEEE/ E-
waste residues are dismantled and segregated.
These segregated hazardous WEEE/ E-waste
fractions are then sent for third level
treatment.

Manual Decontamination/
Dismantling Process
Step 1: Collected E-waste entering the disassembly line in the
dismantling facility
Step 2: Manual dismantling of monitor (removal of plastic back cover
and disposal into a plastic bin)
Step 3: Decontamination by manually removing the hazardous items
and their collection in bins
Step 4: Complete dismantling and segregation of E-waste fractions

Second Level WEEE/ E-waste Treatment

• Input: Decontaminated E-waste consisting segregated non
hazardous E-waste like plastic, circuit board and cables.
• Unit Operations: There are three unit operations at second
level of E-waste treatment
• 1. Hammering
• 2. Shredding
• 3. Special treatment processes
• Special treatment processes are given below.
• 1. CRT treatment consisting of separation of funnels and
screen glass.
• 2. Electromagnetic separation
• 3. Eddy current separation
• 4. Density separation using air or water.

• Output: Output from the second level
treatment technology is given below.
• 1. Ferrous metal scrap (secondary raw
material)
• 2. Non ferrous metal scrap mainly copper and
aluminum
• 3. Precious metal scrap mainly silver, gold,
palladium
• 4. Plastic consisting of sorted plastic, plastic
with flame retardants and plastic mixture

EquipmentusedinsecondlevelWEEE/E-waste treatment
1. Shredder
• For size reduction into a size enabling the majority of the ferrous material
to be separated from the non-ferrous/ insulation and plastic fraction

2. EddyCurrent Separator 1
• For separation of the heavy mixed metal fraction.

3. Heavy Pre-Granulator
For size reduction of the material prior to separation in the Eddy
Current Separator 2.

4. Eddy Current Separator 2
For separation of the light mixed metal fraction

5. Heavy Granulator
For final size reduction of the material

6. Separation Table
For final separation of the remaining fraction into a plastic (organic)
fraction and a mixed metal fraction.

Second Level WEEE/ E-waste Unit
Operations

Refrigerator Harmless Treatment &
Resource Recycling System

Ⅱ. Functional description
• The recycling system for refrigeration devices consists of a shredder,
a crusher, a cyclone separation unit for PUR foam, magnetic
separation unit for iron, a eddy current separation unit for
Aluminium / Copper from plastic and an exhaust air
decontamination system.
• Before the refrigerators are broken up, the loose inner parts are
taken out, this includes glass, drawer and racks etc. This operations
followed by the disposal of the oil-CFC that is done with the
refrigerant suction system.
• After removing the compressor the refrigerator is automatically
moved to the fridge recycling system. The refrigerators area
automatically moved by hydraulic lifting and/or belt conveyor to the
cutting unit of the twin-shaft primary-shredder, and broken into
small and long shape pieces.

Ⅱ. Functional description
• The recyclable material – aluminium/copper, iron, plastic and
PUR-foam – are separated subsequently:
• The shredded pieces of PUR-foam are separated by cyclone
separator and are moved into PUR foam crusher to down
size and storage
• Pieces of iron are taken out through a magnetic separation
belt
• The eddy-current separator removes the residual
aluminium/copper from the plastic.
• The CFC / pentane / air-mixture from the shredder and
crusher is cooled and frozen, and subsequently condensed
and bottled.

CathodeRayTube(CRT)Separation&Recycling
Equipment

I. VARY Cathode Ray Tube Separation
Plant
• End of life televisions have to be recycled.
• The C(cathode ) R(ray) T(tube) has to be
separated in a front and a rear part. There is
toxic material in the CRT, Panel glass contains
fluorescent coating. The rear glass contains led.
Also it is important to separate the glass from
the front and the rear. The front is very good to
reuse when there are no remains of lead in it.

Ⅱ. Work Flow Instruction
• Main steps for CRT separation equipment. Electric grinding wheel to
remove explosive-proof belt, hot wire and high pressure cooling
separate panel and funnel glass, vacuum cleaner collect fluorescent
coating. Manually put CRT on the explosive-proof belt remove
platform, fixed by sucker; Electric grinding wheel take the metal belt
off, an dangle grinder remove glue and graphite; Processed CRT
delivered by conveyor to separation platform, CRT is centered in the
separation station, Ni-chrome wire wrapped CRT, fasten and heating,
cool down by high pressure compress cool air, panel and funnel glass
is separated; after separation, fluorescent coating is collected by
vacuum cleaner. As there is different element for the panel and
funnel glass, funnel glass contains lead(about 22%), panel glass is
lead-free, thus, panel and funnel glass need processed separately

CRT Crushing & Recycling
Equipment

LCD Monitor Dismantling Equipment

Waste Washing Machine Dismantling
Equipment

TV & PC Disassembly Equipment

Scrap Steel and End-of-Life Vehicle
Disassembly and SeparationEquipment

Printed Circuit Board
(PCB) Recycling
Equipment

Waste Cables
& Wires
Recycling
Equipment

WastePlastic
Crushing&
Washing
Equipment
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

LowCopperWaste
Liquid
Waste water
Reuse Technical
and Equipment

Flow sheet of a WEEE/ E-waste recycling plant in Japan

3rd Level WEEE/ E-
waste Treatment

Input/ Output and unit operations for third
level treatment of E-waste

Recycling options for managing plastics from
end-of-life electronics

GeneralguidelinesforWEEE/E-waste treatmentfacilitiesprovide
guidanceforestablishingWEEE/E-wastetreatmentfacility.
1. Prepare Environmental Impact Assessment report along with
detailed project report of the WEEE/E-waste treatment
facility.
2. Regular re-evaluation of environment, health and safety
(EH&S) objectives and monitoring of progress toward
achievement of these objectives is conducted and
documented at all facilities.
3. Facilities take sufficient measures to safeguard occupational
and environmental health and safety. Such measures may be
indicated by local, state, national and international
regulations, agreements, principles and standards, as well as
by industry standards and guidelines. Such measures for all
facilities include:

• 4. Facilities have a regularly-implemented and documented
monitoring and recordkeeping programme that tracks key
process parameters, compliance with relevant safety
procedures, effluents and emissions, and incoming, stored and
outgoing materials and wastes.
• 5. Facilities have an adequate plan for closure. The need for
closure plans and financial guarantees is determined by
applicable laws and regulations, taking into consideration the
level of risk. Closure plans should be updated periodically, and
financial guarantees should ensure that the necessary
measures are undertaken upon definite cessation of activities
to prevent any environmental damage and return the site of
operation to a satisfactory state, as required by the applicable
laws and regulations.

Technologies for Sustainable e-Waste Management Solutions

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