About This Special Issue
Electronic waste (e-waste) is today the fastest growing solid waste in the world, due to its unique characteristics like planned obsolescence, high technology and a fast growing consumer market. E-waste can contain over 100 highly toxic and potentially hazardous substances to human health and to the environment. However, it can contain precious metals such as gold, which are economically valuable, opening a great possibility of urban mining. These factors, amongst others, motivated the world governments to take political action in a vast number of countries around the world. In many of these countries, the export of e-waste is not permitted. In Brazil, from 2014, the “Política National de Resíduos Sólidos” (PNRS) or Solid Waste National Policy, takes effect with the creation of law number 12.305/10 regulated by decree 7.404/10 in which e-waste partially fits Article 13, referring to industrial solid waste where all companies producing electronics in general will be responsible for their products’ life cycle. However, it is still necessary to include a specific regulation about its specification, production, reuse and disposal. The recovery materials from e-waste, also called Reverse Logistics (RL), which includes the insertion and application of sustainable design, is an environmental and commercial measure of great importance that can only bring benefits to all involved. It is known, however, that the biggest part of the solid waste in Brazil is exported, especially the ones containing visible gold. The aims of this special issue is to verify the informal and formal e-waste’s markets in the world, to understand the social and environmental issues involved with the e-waste, to find economically advantageous solutions to recycle e-waste, encouraging future researches. As well, a possible consideration of entrepreneurs and the worldwide governments in regard of the sustainable design insertion to recover so many raw materials with high economic value involved, inspiring proper future actions applicable to this relevant subject in context.
Aims and Scope:
- Electronic waste
- E-waste
- Urban mining
- E-waste treatment
- Mechanical treatment
- Chemical treatment
- Metals recovery
- Gold recovery
- Reverse logistic
- Life cycle of materials and products
- Sustainability
- Sustainable design
- Green design
- Eco design
- Recycling
- Public policy
- Solid waste’s policy
- Social design
- Green capitalism