Info: Zenodo’s user support line is staffed on regular business days between Dec 23 and Jan 5. Response times may be slightly longer than normal.

Published February 23, 2010 | Version 10336
Journal article Open

Characteristics of E-waste Recycling Systems in Japan and China

Description

This study aims to identify processes, current situations, and issues of recycling systems for four home appliances, namely, air conditioners, television receivers, refrigerators, and washing machines, among e-wastes in China and Japan for understanding and comparison of their characteristics. In accordance with results of a literature search, review of information disclosed online, and questionnaire survey conducted, conclusions of the study boil down to: (1)The results show that in Japan most of the home appliances mentioned above have been collected through home appliance recycling tickets, resulting in an issue of "requiring some effort" in treatment and recycling stages, and most plants have contracted out their e-waste recycling. (2)It is found out that advantages of the recycling system in Japan include easiness to monitor concrete data and thorough environmental friendliness ensured while its disadvantages include illegal dumping and export. It becomes apparent that advantages of the recycling system in China include a high reuse rate, low treatment cost, and fewer illegal dumping while its disadvantages include less safe reused products, environmental pollution caused by e-waste treatment, illegal import, and difficulty in obtaining data.

Files

10336.pdf

Files (233.3 kB)

Name Size Download all
md5:0cb814148fe6a6632dfdd57fadccaedd
233.3 kB Preview Download

Additional details

References

  • A.Terazono, Material Flow of E-waste in Japan and Other Asia, Report of the Fourth NIES Workshop on E-waste held by National Institute for Environmental Studies, pp.55-65, 2007.
  • H. Du. B. Li, W. C. Fang and H. G. Yang, Recycling System and Social Issues on E-waste in China, Report of the Fourth NIES Workshop on E-waste held by National Institute for Environmental Studies, pp.67-76, 2007.
  • Jain, Inventory Studies, Risk Profiling, and Financial Viability of a Proposed E-Waste Treatment Facility in India, Proceedings of the Fourth NIES Workshop on E-Waste, pp.89-98, 2007.
  • S. Shrihar, E-Waste Management in Developing Countries -a case Study of Mangalore City, Karnataka, India, Proceedings of Waste -The Social Context'08, P.10 (CD-ROM), 2008.
  • Hengrasmee, The E-Waste Management System in Thailand", Proceedings of The Fourth NIES Workshop on E-Waste, pp.191-196, 2007.
  • T. Wagner, Maine's Shared Responsibility Program for E-waste Management, Proceedings of Waste -The Social Context '08, P.11 (CD-ROM), 2008.
  • T. Yoshikawa, T. Tabata, H. Shirakawa and H. Imura, Study on grasp and rationalization of material flow of the e-waste between Japan and China, Journal of Society of Environmental Science, Japan, Vol.20, No.4, pp.265-278, 2007.
  • K. Nakajima, Raising the Resource Potential of E-waste -Recycle Flow Analysis of End-of-Life Cellular Phone-, Report of the Fourth NIES Workshop on E-waste held by National Institute for Environmental Studies, pp.7-14, 2007.
  • A. Terazono, Current Status and Issues of E-waste in Asia, Seikatsu to Kankyo, Vol.51, No.6, pp.22-30, 2006. [10] Edited by Association for Electric Home Appliances, Report of Findings from Inspection Tour to China in FY 2007, Tokyo, 2007. [11] B. Bo, A study on the evaluation of the recycling systems of e-waste in China and Japan, Master thesis presented to Graduate School of Information Systems, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo, 2009.