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E-waste Generation and Flow in China: A Study on Green Standards Week

This study explores the generation and flow of e-waste in China, highlighting the rapid increase in discarded electronic devices and the illegal transboundary movement of e-waste. It provides insights into the main sources and types of e-waste in China, such as televisions, fluorescent lamps, and household appliances. The study also examines the generation of e-waste from offices equipment like printers and copiers, as well as waste mobile phones. Overall, the study emphasizes the need for effective e-waste management and recycling practices.

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E-waste Generation and Flow in China: A Study on Green Standards Week

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  1. 4thITU Green Standards Week Study on E-waste Generation and Flow in China JieYang，,Jinhui LI Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific Tsinghua University 2014-09

  2. Contents • Background • E-waste generation in China • E-waste collection and flow in China • Conclusion

  3. E-waste generation worldwide • Large discarded quantity and Rapid increase worldwide E-waste generation in countries with GDP in top 10 (source: StEP) E-waste generation in the world (Source: StEP 2013) It is estimated that，worldwide 51 million tonnes of e-waste were discarded in 2012，more than 10% are generated in China.

  4. E-waste generation worldwide • Illegal transboundary of e-waste • Due to high environmental management requirements and high processing cost, illegal transboundary movement of e-waste from developed countries to developing countries happens occasionally, China is one of the main destination countries of illegal export of e-waste Source, Banned Export WEEE Source, Permitted Export WEEE Source, Not legislation Export WEEE Destination, Banned Import WEEE Destination, Permitted Import WEEE Destination, Not legislation Import WEEE Known Routes from Sources to Destinations Jinhui Li ⇑, Brenda N. Lopez.Regional or global WEEE recycling. Where to go? .Waste Management， 2013

  5. Contents • Background • E-waste generation in China • E-waste collection and flow in China • Conclusion

  6. E-waste classification Main generated e-waste source Main e-waste type in China Televisions Etc. fluorescent lamp Etc.

  7. 1：Social ownership coefficient method 2：Market supply method 3：estimation model 4：Stanford method 4 • No official statistic data of e-waste volume • Difference among estimation results in different methods • Most are lack of other e-waste volume estimation E-waste generation in China 4 2 2 4 3 3 2 4 3 1 1 1:Y. He, X. Liao, and H. Tian, "China's scrap household appliance generation measurement methods and result analysis," Appliance Technology, p. 2, 2010. 2: L. Li, Y. Liu, and Q. Wang, "National plan for recycling and disposal of waste electric and elelctronic equipment," Research of Enivironmental Science vol. 22, p. 5, 2009. 3: J. Li, B. Tian, T. Liu, H. Liu, X. Wen, and S. i. Honda, "Status quo of e-waste management in mainland China," Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, vol. 8, pp. 13-20, 2006. 4: A. Veenstra, C. Wang, W. Fan, and Y. Ru, "An analysis of E-waste flows in China," The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, vol. 47, pp. 449-459, 2010.

  8. Estimation of total e-waste volume =∑Total volume of main e-waste types =∑household appliances + Consumer equipment+ IT and telecommunication equipment + Lighting equipment =∑Total volume of representative products of each main e-waste types =∑(washing machines + Refrigerators + room air conditioners)+ (Televisions)+(Computers + Printers and copiers + mobile phones)+ (fluorescent lamp) E-waste generation in China

  9. Large production and ownership of the main five traditional e-products (televisions, washing machines, refrigerators, room air conditioners, computer) E-waste generation in China • Production: from ca.100 million units in 2001 to ca. 780 million units in 2012; • Social ownership: over 1.8 billion units in 2012 (social ownership of residents accounts for 90%) • Rapid increase of computer production • Stable increase of production of air conditioner, refrigerator and washing machine • Relative slow-growth of televisions

  10. large and rapid increased generation of the main five major e-waste E-waste generation in China Generation of the five main e-waste（in 10000 units and million tonnes) Generation of the five main e-waste was estimated to be 150 million units, namely ca. 4.5 million tonnes in 2013, and would reach to 10 million tonnes in 2020

  11. Generation of offices equipment (e.g. printers and copiers) E-waste generation in China Rapid production volume of printers: from ca. 18 million units in 2001 to 70.6 billion units in 2012. Large and increased generation volume of waste printers: from ca. 20 million units in 2010 to ca. 39 million units (ca. 390 thousand tonnes) in 2013, which would keep growing in the future, but the speed will slow down gradually Volume of waste copiers is ca. 1-2% of waste printers.

  12. Generation of waste mobile phones E-waste generation in China Rapid production volume of mobile phones: from ca. 80 million units in 2001 to 1.46 billion units in 2013. Large and rapid increased generation volume of waste mobile phones: from 83 million units in 2010 to ca. 230 million units (ca. 28 thousand tonnes) in 2013, which would keep growing in the future, but the speed will slow down gradually

  13. Generation of waste fluorescent lamp E-waste generation in China Distribution of waste generation It is estimated that in 2013, total waste fluorescent is about 3.44 billion units, total weight is about 519 thousand tonnes; Which will reach 5.84 billion units, and total weight with about 937 thousand tonnes.in 2020 Guangdong，Jiangsu, Shandong, Zhejiang, and Sichuan are the top five waste-FL-generating provinces in China. （Quanyin Tan; Jinhui Li. A study of waste fluorescent lamp generation in mainland China. Journal of Cleaner Production， 2014）

  14. Pressure of the illegal tranboundary of e-waste • Large discarded quantity and Rapid increase of e-waste lead to environmental pressure • The total weight of the main generated e-waste reached ca. 5.52 million tonnes in 2013. E-waste generation in China From Jan. to Oct. 2013, China customs seized 10 cases of e-waste smuggling, with a total of more than 1500 tonnes. Mostly are waste lead-acid batteries, waste printed circuit board, waste computer equipment and office products etc., mainly from Hong Kong, Vietnam, myanmar, Mongolia and other places, but the origin countries of waste are unknown. In early 2014, the customs seized the largest e-waste smuggling since "hedge" special action , with 185container and total of more than 200 tonnes. It find out that since 2013 the smuggling gang smuggled more than 2800 container and bulk e-waste， with a total of more than 72000 tonnes.

  15. Contents • Background • E-waste generation in China • E-waste collection and flow in China • Conclusion

  16. Before Market spontaneous E-waste collection in China Construction of renewable resources collection system of Ministry of Commerce (2006) Multi-collection channel Community collection network of the MOC “Old for New "Policy of household appliance(2009-2011) “Old for New “ activities The Regulation for the Administration of Recycling and Treatment of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment（2009）(Chinese WEEE) Regulated multi-collection channels Administrative measures for Collection Management of WEEE (2012) (Consulting) Records management of collection activities

  17. E-waste collection in China

  18. Main influence factors • Policy, e.g. fund subsidy • Economy, e.g. treatment cost and profit • Product characteristics, e.g. resource value and reusability • …… E-waste flow in China

  19. Waste Televisions : • Formal and informal collection channels coexist: mainly come from household, which were mainly collected by individual collectors, second-hand market, retailers and treatment enterprises etc. • High recycling rate: High fund subsidy and low resource value and reusability make television relative easy to collect. In 2013, ca. 89% waste TVs flowed into qualified e-waste enterprises for dismantling and recycling, ca. 11% waste TVs flowed into second market or workshops. E-waste flow in China Individual collector Second market for reuse Second-hand market Workshops for dismantling Televisions (43.79 million units) Qualified treatment enterprises for dismantling（38.95 million units（89%）） retailers MOC collection network Pilot Base of Urban Mining

  20. Waste washing machines, refrigerators, room air conditioners: • Formal and informal collection channels coexist: mainly come from household, which were mainly collected by individual collectors, second-hand market, retailers and treatment enterprises etc. • Low recycling rate: In 2013, ca. 10.5% Washing machines, 4% Refrigerators, and 0.018% air conditioners flowed into qualified e-waste enterprises for dismantling and recycling, most flowed into second market or workshops. E-waste flow in China Second market for reuse Individual collector Washing machines (16.03 million units) Refrigerators (14.69 million units) room air conditioners (28.32 million units) Second-hand market Workshops for dismantling retailers Qualified treatment enterprises for dismantling(Washing machines 1.69 million units/10.5%); Refrigerators 0.6 million units/4%); air conditioners 5000 units/0.018%) MOC collection network Pilot Base of Urban Mining

  21. Waste computers : • Formal and informal collection channels coexist: mainly come from household and offices, which were collected by individual collectors, second-hand market, Institutions & Enterprises, retailers and treatment enterprises etc. • Low recycling rate: high resource value and reusability make computer difficult to collect. In 2013, ca. 2% waste computers flowed into qualified e-waste enterprises for dismantling and recycling, most flowed into second market or workshops. E-waste flow in China Individual collector Second market for reuse Second-hand market Workshops for dismantling Computers (50.79 million units) retailers Institutions & Enterprises Qualified treatment enterprises for dismantling（1.1 million units（2%）） MOC collection network Pilot Base of Urban Mining

  22. Waste mobile phones: • Formal and informal collection channels coexist: mainly come from consumers, which were collected mainly by individual collectors, second-hand market, retailers and operators, treatment enterprises etc. • High proportion for leave unused or donate for reuse • High reuse rate: 34%-27% • Low recycling rate: only 5% flowed into qualified e-waste enterprises for dismantling and recycling, others flowed into second market or workshops. E-waste flow in China Most used mobile phones are transported in Guangdong provinces like Shenzhen for refurbishment

  23. Waste printers: • Formal and informal collection channels coexist: mainly come from office areas, which were collected mainly by individual collectors, second-hand market, producers and retailers, treatment enterprises etc. • High proportion of temporary stored waste printers: more than 50% • High remanufacturing of waste drum/ink cartridges • Low collection rate by formal treatment enterprises: ca.15% flowed into qualified e-waste enterprises for dismantling and recycling, others flowed into second market or workshops. E-waste flow in China

  24. waste fluorescent lamp: • At present, only some recycling pilot in institutions and the communities are conducted in a few cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, Nanning, Changsha. For example, Beijing Eco-island Science and Technology co., LTD. collected 3.67 million Waste fluorescent in 2012, only ca. 0.1% of total waste amount. • Treated with household waste: Most waste fluorescent tubes are discarded with household waste, and flow to Household waste disposal facilities E-waste flow in China Household waste disposal facilities Discard waste fluorescent lamp (3.44 billion units) Hazardous waste facilities （ca.1%） Collection pilot

  25. Other e-waste: • Informal collection channels : as waste e-scrap collected by waste scrap collector, second-hand market etc. ; Small E-waste with low value would be discarded with household waste; Some e-waste with medium resource value would be sold to scrap collector, some with medium reusability would be sold to second-hand market • Dismantling by individuals or workshops for metal and plastics. E-waste flow in China Discard Other e-waste Second market for reuse Sold as waste scrap Individual collector Workshops for dismantling Second-hand market

  26. Main flow direction: • Formal treatment enterprises • Secondhand market for reuse as whole machine or components • Informal workshop E-waste flow in China

  27. E-waste flow in China As of Sep. 2014, 106 qualified enterprises have been authorized to be funded, total treatment ability exceed 100 million units WEEE per year. According to the certificated dismantled amount of WEEE in the first and second quarter of 2013, most formally collected WEEE mainly flowed in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, shanghai, Sichuan, Hubei, Tianjin provinces for dismantling.

  28. Only few enterprises have mobile phone disassembly line, e.g. Shanghai Weixiang • Only few enterprises have printers disassembly line ,e.g. Fuji Xerox (Suzhou)and Canon（Dalian）are 2 enterprises specially for printers collection and recycling • Only 4 enterprises have the fluorescent lamp treatment permit, ca. 16100 tonnes • Main disassemble components e.g. CRT glass are sent to Tianjin Renxin • Waste plastics processing are mainly concentrated in Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong etc. provinces There are ca. more than 80 enterprises with PCBs treatment permit, which mainly located in Jiangsu, Zhejiang province and Shanghai City, of which ca. 16 enterprises are WEEE enterprises with WEEE treatment permit E-waste flow in China

  29. Contents • Background • E-waste generation in China • E-waste collection and flow in China • Conclusion

  30. Concerning the main 8 representative types e-waste, the total weight was estimated to be ca. 5.52 million tonnes in 2013. Besides, the amont of illegal import of e-waste could reach hundreds of thousands tonnes. Except the traditional e-waste （televisions, washing machines , refrigerators, room air conditioners, and computers), the waste generation volume such as printers, fluorescent lamp have significant percent of 7% and 9%. • E-waste secondhand market and workshops are still popular in China. In 2013, only ca. 24% e-waste flowed into formal sector, and ca. 35% e-waste directly or after refurbishment flowed into second market, and ca. 30% were directly dismantled by workshops. • Under the fund subsidy, the collection system of television is relative mature, with ca. 89% flowed into formal treatment enterprises. But facing e-waste with high or medium resource value e.g. air conditioner, computer, refrigerator, and washing machine, the subsidy with the principle of compensation of the environmental cost can not lead these e-waste products to flow into qualified treatment companies. Besides Massive secondhand market in China lead also to the difficulty to collect e-waste with high reusability such as computers, mobile phones etc. • In the first and second quarter of 2013， most formally collected WEEE mainly flowed in Jisangsu, Zhejiang, shanghai, Sichuan, Hubei, Tianjing provinces for dismantling. New treatment enterprises which got the fund qualifications would increase the collection competition Conclusion

  31. Thank you 4thITU Green Standards Week The 9th International Conference on Waste Management and Technology http://2014.icwmt.org October 29-31, 2014 Beijing, China Dr. Chen Yuan Ms. Wang Jiecong Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China, E-mail: icwmt@tsinghua.edu.cn

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