Prediction of Electronic Waste Disposals From Residential Areas in Malaysia

Abstract

The most fundamental element in planning electronic waste management is to acquire reliable data on the total volume of electronic waste generated from various sources such as residential premises, commercial buildings and industrial areas. Hence, a crucial aspect of electronic waste management is to predict the accumulation of electronic wastes in the future. This study aims to predict electronic waste to be disposed of for the next 15 years, focusing only on electronic waste from residential areas. A few rural and urban areas of residential premises were randomly selected as a case study. The result for this study was deduced from the survey and interviews conducted in the vicinity of the study area. Thirty sets of questionnaire were distributed randomly at each selected area. The residential area was divided into three categories i.e. residents with low income (LI), residents with medium income (MI) and residents with high income (HI). The survey was done by distributing the questionnaire to investigate electronic equipment usage and its lifespan by users as well as the waste management option preferred by the residents. The findings of the study showed that approximately 51% of the generated electronic waste will go through four stages of waste management options i.e. reuse, repair, remanufacturing and recycling, while approximately 49% of the generated electronic waste will go through the disposal option i.e. landfill sites. The result of the study showed that the predicted lifespan for the electronic equipment used by residents in Malaysia is between the ranges of 0-15 years. On average, as much as 5% of used home electronic equipment will be disposed of after 6 years of usage, 41% after 9 years and 3% after 12 years. From the study, the information regarding the percentage of electronic waste that will be reused, repaired, remanufactured, recycled and disposed of for the next 15 years can be gained and is presented via scientific analysis.

A global review of consumer behavior towards e-waste and implications for the circular economy

“…Consumers prefer to buy cheap (nonbrand) electronics, despite a shorter lifespan (Othman et al, 2015).…”

“…Nowakowski (2016) mentioned that improper disposal practices existed among residents', and many of the residents disposed of e-waste with household solid waste and selling the item to local scrappers. In Malaysia, Othman et al (2015) while approximately 14% of the E-waste generated by low-income residents would go through landfill sites. Among the young consumers, this practice also prevails.…”

“…et al, 2015), age (mainly "method of disposal.") , Nowakowski, 2019, income (Abbondanza and Souza, 2019, Darby and Obara, 2005, Islam et al, 2016, Othman et al, 2015, gender (Dagiliūtė et al, 2019, Darby and Obara, 2005, Nowakowski, 2019, Ongondo and Williams, 2011, education (Nowakowski, 2019, occupation (Zhang, B. et al (2019), and types of residence (Dagiliūtė et al, 2019, Nowakowski, 2019. Botelho et al (2016) found that 'exchange for money' (mainly demanded by males) was the expected incentive in Portugal, followed by 'exchange for new EEE,' 'discount coupons on services' (females and consumers with a high level of education), 'collection of EEE at home' (females).…”

“…Income and occupation, mainly in the environmental sector, influenced factors using e-commerce and professional recycling sites (Zhang, B. et al, 2019). Othman et al (2015) found that approximately 86% of the e-waste generated by low-income residents would go through four options of a waste management system, i.e., reuse, repair, remanufacturing, and recycling. On the other hand, Song et al (2012) concluded that Macau residents did not consider the small financial benefit of selling discarded electronic products, which was different from mainland Chinese residents.…”

E-WASTE: A FURIOUSLY GROWING TECHNICAL WASTE WITH MINIMUM MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVES IN INDIA https://ijbpas.com/pdf/2022/July/MS_IJBPAS_2022_6245.pdf

“…The high costs for repairs for electronics and the accessibility to inexpensive and a feature-rich electronic product that fuels the culture of throwing away outdated products makes chunks of e waste.By developing strong systems for recycling, sustainable development can be achieved[31]. , its quantity can be reduced[32]. Promotion of Reduce and Reuse -To control waste, the first priority should be reducing the generation of E-waste. To achieve this target ,one should change their life style.In developed countries people change their gadgets not because their gadgets stop working ,just to use the updated version of that.If the lifespan of the gadget is prolonged then the production of e-waste would be less [33].…”