Electronic waste is a growing problem. The EU directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) aims to minimise WEEE by putting the responsibility on producers and distributors to pay for the costs associated with the collection, treatment, recycling and recovery of WEEE. Therefore there is a need for information about waste electronics management. Part one provides an introduction to the management of electronic waste. Part two discusses technologies for the treatment and recycling of waste electronics. Part three explores sustainable design of electronics and supply chains. Part four discusses case studies of WEEE management schemes. Part five focuses on electronic products that are particularly challenging to recycle.

Table of Contents

Part 1 Legislation and initiatives to manage WEEE: Global e-waste initiatives; EU legislation relating to electronic waste: the WEEE and RoHS directives and the REACH regulations; The present recast of the WEEE directive; The WEEE Forum and the WEEELABEX project; Conformity assessment of WEEE take-back schemes: the case of Switzerland; Eco-efficiency evaluation of WEEE take-back systems. Part 2 Technologies for refurbishment, treatment and recycling of waste electronics: The materials of WEEE; Refurbishment and re-use of WEEE; Shredding, sorting and recovery of metals from WEEE: linking design to resource efficiency; Mechanical methods of recycling plastics from WEEE; Pyrolysis of WEEE plastics; Chemical or feedstock recycling of WEEE products. Part 3 Electronic products that present particular challenges for recyclers: Recycling printed circuit boards; Recycling liquid crystal displays; Recycling cooling and freezing appliances; End-of-life options for printed electronics; Recycling batteries. Part 4 Sustainable design of electronics and supply chains: ErP, the European directive on ecodesign; Sustainable electronic product design; Reducing hazardous substances in electronics; Examining subsidy impacts on recycled WEEE material flows. Part 5 National and regional WEEE management schemes: WEEE management in Europe: learning from best practice; WEEE management in China; WEEE management in the USA and India: research and education for a responsible approach to managing WEEE; WEEE management in Japan; WEEE management in Africa. Part 6 Corporate WEEE management strategies: Hewlett Packard's WEEE management strategy; Siemens' WEEE management strategy; The history of take-back and treatment of WEEE at the Philips Consumer Lifestyle division; Creating a corporate environmental strategy including WEEE take-back and treatment.

About the Author

V. Goodship, University of Warwick, UK and A. Stevels, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands