E-WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN UKRAINE: LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND SWOT-ANALYSIS

Abstract

Background: Waste management has been the subject of interest for both Ukrainian and foreign scientists. While Ukrainian researchers have studied waste management and focused on the viability of waste incineration for economic and environmental protection, foreign scientists have directed their attention towards examining the environmental impact of electronic devices. By analysing complex issues related to social-ecological systems, these foreign scientists have studied e-waste management (EWM) approaches to guarantee environmental sustainability and raise public knowledge of EWM. This comparative scrutiny has revealed a research gap, prompting the need to investigate the current state of the e-waste management system (EWMS) in Ukraine to determine the directions for improving EWM. Methods: To meet the objectives outlined in this paper, various scientific and specialised methods were employed. The structural-functional method was used to consider stakeholders' interests and level of influence in the EWMS by dividing them into four groups. A SWOT analysis was performed to determine the EWMS's opportunities, threats, weaknesses, and strengths. The comparison method was used when Ukraine's regulatory framework in the EWMS was approximated and compared with EU legal actions. Results and Conclusions: The study examined stakeholders' interests and level of influence over EWMS, categorising them into four categories: KEEP INFORMED (mass media), MANAGE CLOSELY (the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers, various ministries, and state organisations in Ukraine), KEEP SATISFIED (the President of Ukraine and Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine), and KEEP INFORMED + TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION (international organisations, non-governmental and public organisations, activists, and environmental organisations). A SWOT analysis revealed the EWM system's advantages, disadvantages, opportunities, and threats. Taking these factors into account will advance the deployment of EWMS in Ukraine and provide insight into the issues impeding its advancement. Our analysis of Ukraine's EWM regulatory framework and its adherence to EU law enabled us to conclude that, to effectively manage all waste streams, including e-waste flows, national sectoral laws and regulations that consider international standards and progressive foreign experience should be adopted as the next step in reforming the waste management sector.