Developing an e-waste collection system at a municipal level: A case study of Dalian, China

Ying Qu, Qinghua Zhu, Joseph Sarkis, Yong Geng, and Yongguang Zhong

Journal of Cleaner Production, Forthcoming.

With China's rapid development, e-wastes issue has become increasingly critical. Without appropriate collection and treatment, e-wastes will bring serious environmental challenges. This paper reviews e-wastes collection in Dalian, China. Our findings show that although the Dalian municipality has made progress in improving the collection rate of e-wastes, several challenges still exist, including unclear responsibilities of stakeholders for e-waste collection in laws and regulations; high collection costs for formal treatment plants; and the lack of appropriate infrastructure, especially collection centers. As part of the research study, we identify several potential solutions for policy makers to overcome these challenges. The initiatives used by Dalian can provide implications for other municipalities in China as well as in other developed and developing countries.

Keywords: Supply Chain Management; Electronic Waste; Policy; China; Waste Management; Reverse Logistics

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