Is Voluntary Product Stewardship for E-Waste Working in New Zealand? A Whangarei Case Study

Abstract

New Zealand currently manages its annually-generated 99,000 tonnes of e-waste via voluntary product stewardship schemes. Limited data is available to determine the success of this approach. This lack of data is cited as the logic preventing the declaration of e-waste as a priority product by the Minister for the Environment which would trigger the enforcement of mandatory product stewardship. This case study involved an online survey of 264 Whangarei District householders asking questions about e-waste creation and management, as well as analyses of local services, and local and national policy. It found that only 1.8% of the estimated e-waste created in the district is recycled by municipal services, with the 'cost to recycle' and 'a lack of knowledge' presenting barriers to engagement in these services. The 'lack of ability to repair/the cost to repair' was found to be the most significant driver for e-waste creation. The adoption of mandatory product stewardship for e-waste was recommended to ensure robust and transparent data collection, see recycling services become more accessible, and raise awareness of these services, thus reducing the value-action gap. Mandatory e-waste management would also impact product design to ensure affordable repair-ability, further supporting a circular economy for electronic goods.

Determinants of Individuals’ E-Waste Recycling Decision: A Case Study from Romania

“…From this point of view, even though globally the e-waste represents almost 5% of all municipal solid waste [1], the toxicity brought to the environment by this type of waste is high, representing almost 70% of our overall toxic waste [6]. The environmental and health impacts of the e-waste have been largely discussed in the research literature attached to this field [7][8][9][10]. Also, Shevchenko et al [11] underlined that more than 1000 different substances are included in the e-waste category, many of them toxic to both human health and environment, while 70% of the cadmium and mercury present in the USA's landfills are from e-waste.…”

“…As the topic of e-waste recycling is vast, a series of papers have addressed this problem in different countries contexts such as: Brazil [22], Canada [23], China [24][25][26][27][28], Costa Rica [29], Ghana [30,31], Greece [32], Hong Kong [24], India [33], Italy [34], Japan [26], Mexico [35,36], New Zealand [7], Nigeria [19,37], South Korea [26], Sri Lanka [38], Taiwan [26,39], United Kingdom [40], United States [41], Vietnam [42], etc., by studying various aspects related to the e-waste recycling process in the context of the behavior of the consumers' located in these areas.…”

E-Waste Recycling and Resource Recovery: A Review on Technologies, Barriers and Enablers with a Focus on Oceania

“…Despite being a high per capita e-waste generator (19.2 kg) [5], New Zealand does not have any e-waste management or regulated product stewardship policies [46]. Instead, New Zealand currently manages its e-waste via voluntary product stewardship schemes [47]. Examples of these include service provider take-back schemes and trade-in schemes, supplier trade back and trade-in schemes, as well as voluntary recycling drop-off points [47][48][49].…”

“…Instead, New Zealand currently manages its e-waste via voluntary product stewardship schemes [47]. Examples of these include service provider take-back schemes and trade-in schemes, supplier trade back and trade-in schemes, as well as voluntary recycling drop-off points [47][48][49]. Depending on the product, this is most commonly a free service but can incur a charge from certain providers.…”

“…Depending on the product, this is most commonly a free service but can incur a charge from certain providers. E-waste generation in New Zealand is driven by the large purchasing power of the population, the steady population growth and increased dependence on technology, as well as the lack of ability to repair products [1,47].…”