Geospatial Analysis and Innovative Solutions for E-Waste Management: A Sustainable Approach to Addressing Electronic Waste Challenges
Main Article Content
Keywords
Geospatial analysis, E-waste management, Sustainable solutions, Electronic waste, E-waste hotspots, Recycling processes, Environmental impact, Social implications, Blockchain tracking systems, Artificial intelligence, Circular economy
Abstract
Electronic waste (e-waste) has emerged as a critical environmental and public health issue globally, necessitating innovative solutions for its management. Geospatial analysis offers a promising avenue for understanding the complexities of e-waste generation, disposal, and recycling, enabling policymakers and stakeholders to devise sustainable strategies. Utilizing empirical data from real-world sources, we emphasize the concerning escalation of electronic waste (e-waste), revealing estimations indicating an astonishing 53.6 million metric tons produced worldwide in the year 2019 alone.Moreover, geospatial analysis aids in assessing the environmental impact of e-waste, including soil and water contamination, as well as its social implications on vulnerable communities involved in informal recycling activities. By integrating geospatial analysis with innovative solutions like blockchain-based tracking systems and artificial intelligence for automated sorting, we propose a holistic approach to e-waste management. Case studies from regions facing acute e-waste challenges underscore the efficacy of geospatially-informed interventions in promoting a circular economy and mitigating the adverse effects of electronic waste on both local and global scales. Ultimately, this research advocates for the adoption of geospatial technologies as integral components of sustainable e-waste management strategies in the pursuit of a cleaner and healthier environment for future generations.
References
Awasthi, A.K., Zeng, X.L., & Li, J.H. (2016a). Comparative examining and analysis of E-waste recycling in typical developing and developed countries. Procedia Environmental Science, 35, 676-680.
Awasthi, A.K., Zeng, X.L., & Li, J.H. (2016b). Environmental pollution of electronic waste recycling in India: A critical review. Environmental Pollution, 211, 259-270.
Balande, C.P., Forti, V., Gray, V., Kuehr, R., & Stegmann, P. (2017). The Global E-Waste Monitor 2017. United Nations University, International Telecommunication Union, and International Solid Waste Association.
Baldé, C.P., Forti, V., Gray, V., Kuehr, R., & Stegmann, P. (2017). The Global E-Waste Monitor 2017. United Nations University, International Telecommunication Union, and International Solid Waste Association.
Bandyopadhyay, A. (2008). A regulatory approach for e-waste management: A cross-national review of current practice and policy with an assessment and policy recommendation for the Indian perspective. International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2(1/2), 139-186.
Balakrishnan, R.B., Kuber, A.P., & Ahmed, B.C. (2007). Electrical and electronic waste: A global environmental problem. Waste Management & Research, 25(4), 307-318.
Bangalore Customs. (2003). Guidelines for 100% EOU scheme. Department of Customs and Central Excise.
Bhatnagar, S. (2006). India's software industry. In V. Chandra (Ed.), Technology, Adaptation, and Exports: How Some Developing Countries Get It Right. New York: World Bank.
Berger, C., Savard, G., & Wizere, A. (1999). Eugene: An optimization model for integrated regional solid waste management planning. International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 12(2), 280-307.
Bhowmick, N. (2011). Is India's e-waste problem spiraling out of control? Time World. [Online]
Borthakur, A. (2014). Generation and management of electronic waste in the city of Pune, India. Bulletin of Science, Technology & Society, 34(1-2), 43-52.
Borthakur, A. (2015). Generation and management of electronic waste in India: An assessment from stakeholders’ perspective. Journal of Development Society, 31(2), 220-248.
Borthakur, A., & Singh, P. (2016). E-waste in the era of a digitally empowered India: A real challenge (A glance at the world). Waste Management, 58, II.
Borthakur, A., & Govind, M. (2017). Emerging trends in consumers’ E-waste disposal behavior and awareness: A worldwide overview with special focus on India. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 117(B), 102-113.
Borthakur, A., & Singh, P. (2017). Researches on informal E-waste recycling sector: It’s time for a ‘Lab to Land’ approach. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 323, 730-732.
Cairns, C.N. (2005). E-waste and the consumer: Improving options to reduce, reuse and recycle. In Proceedings of the 2005 IEEE International Symposium on Electronics and the Environment (pp. 237-242). New Orleans, US.
Campbell, J.L. (2007). Why would corporations behave in socially responsible ways? An institutional theory of corporate social responsibility. Academy of Management Review, 32(3), 946-967.
Carroll, A.B. (1991). The pyramid of corporate social responsibility: Toward the moral management of organizational stakeholders. Business Horizons, (July/August), 39-48.
Carter, C.R., & Ellram, L.M. (1998). Reverse logistics: A review of the literature and framework for future investigations. Journal of Business Logistics, 19(1), 85-102.
Cavaye, A. (1996). Case study research: A multi-faceted research approach for IS. Information Systems Journal, 6, 227-242.
Cook, T.D., & Reichardt, C.S. (1979). Qualitative and quantitative methods in evaluation research. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Corwin, J.E. (2018). “Nothing is useless in nature”: Delhi’s repair economies and value-creation in an electronics waste sector. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 50(1), 14-30.
Fevrier, K. (2022). Informal Waste Recycling Economies in the Global South and the Chimera of Green Capitalism. Antipode.
Kala, K., & Bolia, N.B. (2021). Analysis of citizen’s perception towards segregation and composting. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 23(7), 10763-10786.
Mellal, M.A. (2020). Obsolescence–A review of the literature. Technology in Society, 63, 101347.
Nair, S.K., & Hopp, W.J. (1992). A model for equipment replacement due to technological obsolescence. European Journal of Operational Research, 63(2), 207-221.
Niskanen, J., & McLaren, D. (2021). The Political Economy of Circular Economies: Lessons from Future Repair Scenario Deliberations in Sweden. Circular Economy and Sustainability, 1-25.
Ongondo, F.O., Williams, I.D., & Cherrett, T.J. (2011). How are WEEE doing? A global review of the management of electrical and electronic wastes. Waste Management, 31(4), 714-730.
Robinson, B.H. (2009). E-waste: An assessment of global production and environmental impacts. Science of the Total Environment, 408(2), 183-191.
Sthiannopkao, S., & Wong, M.H. (2013). Handling e-waste in developed and developing countries: Initiatives, practices, and consequences. Science of the Total Environment, 463, 1147-1153.
Widmer, R., Oswald-Krapf, H., Sinha-Khetriwal, D., & Schnellmann, M. (2005). Global perspectives on e-waste. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 25(5), 436-458.
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All articles published in JPTCP are licensed under Copyright Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Sandeep Beniwal
Ph.D. Scholar, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
Sanju Sunda
Ph.D. Scholar, Sophia Girls College, Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University, Ajmer(Rajasthan)