E-Waste Management in Asia Pacific Region: Review of Issues, Challenges and Solutions

Abstract

Proper management of used electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), known as e-waste, is causing a significant challenge for many countries around the world. United Nations estimate that the world generated 53 million metric tonnes (Mt) of e-waste in 2019, mostly from the Asian region. Poor handling of e-waste can cause severe environmental and human health issues due to the toxic compounds in e-waste. E-waste also contains valuable metals worth recovering. Environmentally sound management (ESM) of e-waste is either absent or limited in developing countries due to the informal recycling sector's dominance. Many countries are in the process of developing regulations based on extended producer responsibility (EPR) concepts. This paper aims to review the current status, issues, and challenges faced by Asia Pacific countries and suggest a way forward for the ESM of e-waste.