It will discuss E-waste management system in Malaysia in comparison to 3 case studies: China, European Union and South Africa. Three of the main gist of this presentation is to focus on keyactors, obstacles and way-forward (mechanism).

1. 1
Postgraduate Conference on Science and Technology 2012
Key Theme: Issues in Science, Technology and Society
Mohd Fadhli Rahmat Fakri (SMB 110010)
Department of Science & Technology Studies,
Faculty of Science, University of Malaya

2. » Introduction: Key Definitions
» Scene-Setting: Malaysia at Glance
» E-waste Management Practices: Mechanism
» E-Waste Tri-Case Studies:
• European Union
• China
• South Africa
» Way Forward & Conclusion
» References
2

3. 1
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
» Latin word: sustinere (tenere, to hold; sus, up) which generally
means to maintain, hold-up and endure
» Based upon Brundtland Report (2007), SD is illustrated as
follows:
˃“…development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs. It contains within
it two key components: (i) the concept of needs, in
particular the essential needs of the world’s poor, to
which overriding priority should be given; and (ii) the
idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology
and social organizations on the environment’s ability to
meet present and future needs…”
3

4. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
» Stephen R. Dovers (2009) further explains the concept of
sustainable development from policies and institutionalization
perspectives by providing lists of six sustainability
principles as follows:
1) short and long term considerations;
Factoring in both
2) Integrating environmental, social and
economic concerns in policy making;
3) Taking precautionary measures in the face of
possible serious environmental degradation;
4) Considering global implications of
domestic policy directions;
5) innovative, new policy
Utilising
approaches, such as participation, institutional change
and market mechanisms; and
6) Involving communities in decisions and actions that
affect them.
4

5. » Deepali Sinha Khetriwal et. al. (2007) - electronic waste
disposed of by end users and includes a wide range of
products, from simple devices to complex goods
» First Schedule of Environmental Quality (Schedule
Waste) Regulation 2005: as waste from the assembly of
E&E appliances that consist of components such as
accumulators, mercury switches, glass from cathode-ray
tubes and other activated glass or polychlorinated
biphenyl-capacitors, or contaminated with cadmium,
mercury, lead, nickel, chromium, copper, lithium, silver,
manganese or polychlorinated biphenyl.
» considered as scheduled wastes under the code SW110
in the First Scheduled, Environmental Quality (Scheduled
Wastes) Regulations 2005.
5
(Guidelines for Classification of Used Electrical and
Electronic Equipment in Malaysia, Department of Environment
Malaysia)

6. » G. David and S. Herat (2008) - to describe
both electronic and electrical (E&E)
wastes, that is, any items which rely on an
electric current or electromagnetic fields
in order to operate and contain a hard-drive
or significant electronic components and/or
a printed circuit board
» B M Krishna Nanda (2008) policy
perspectives: waste E&E equipment
(WEEE), means E&E equipment and its
components, subassemblies, and
consumables which are part of the product
at the time of discarding, that become
waste 6

7. 7

8. 8

9. 9

10. 2
10th Malaysia Plan
• 12 National Key Economic Transformation
Economic Areas (NKEA) Programme (ETP) Chapter 11:
includes E&E Revitalizing the E&E Sector
• largest single contributor • finalizing undertaking of Solid
(manufacturing sector) Waste Management and Public
26.1% of manufacturing Cleansing ( on collection,
output operation and management of
• largest employer, >40% solid waste); a category on which
of total manufacturing nevertheless e-waste has been
labor. classified into.
• RM0.5 billion allocated for
10
Have we sustainably private investment
manage our e-waste yet?

11. Facts
In Malaysia, the combined e-waste generated
by households, businesses and institutions
sector was
• 592,391 tonnes in 2006
• 639,493 tonnes in 2007
• 624,143 tonnes in 2008,
• annual average
generated:635,030 tonnes.
(News Strait Times. Good Response to E-Waste
11
Project dated July 24, 2012)

12. 12

13. 13

14. 14

15. 15

16. 16

17. 17

18. 18

19. 19

20. 20

21. 21

22. 22

23. 3
23

24. » Question of Who???
Government Industries Public
1The Government Industries Public
authoritative electrical and electronic encompassing the
bodies/governmental producers, manufacturers whole community
agencies with at large from
and recyclers be it Small
decision making every strata other
powers in shaping up Medium Enterprises up to than the
the direction and the gigantic multinational Government and
how e-waste is companies both local and Industries
managed in our international
country.
2E.g. (i) the Ministry of such as
Natural Resources consumers, end-
and Environment, (ii) users, Non-People
the Department of
Organizations
Environment
Malaysia, and (iii) (NPO) and Non-
local authorities. Governmental 24
Organizations
(NGO).

25. 4 E-WASTE TRI-CASE STUDIES
1. European Union
2. China
3. South Africa
25

26. A
» average of 3.3 tonnes of electrical goods is the
amount of e-waste one UK individual creates in a
lifetime (Project Eden. WEEE Man Sculpture,
Eden Project Cornwall)
» more ‘proactive’ in dealing with e-waste issues
» developed several directives in response to
concerns regarding increases in the e-waste
stream, the toxicity of such waste and its
shipment to parts of the developing world.
26

27. » Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive classifies 10
categories of e-waste namely:
1) large household appliances;
2) small household appliances;
3) IT and telecoms equipment;
4) electronic and electrical tools;
5) consumer equipment;
6) Lighting;
7) Toys, leisure and sports equipment;
8) Automated dispensers;
9) Medical devices; and
10) Monitoring and control devices.
» aims at reducing e-waste, treatment, recovery and recycling of
e-waste, enhancing environmental performance and producer
responsibility 27

28. » Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR),
manufacturers are held in a position to ‘take
back’ (i.e. provide a basis for recycling even
through a third party) products from users
(extension of the polluter pay principle and is protected in
the European Union’s Fifth Environment Action Programme)
» 2nd strategy: Restriction on Hazardous
Substances (RoHS) directive: that no goods (from
the first eight categories of the WEEE directive)
should come onto the EU market after July 1st,
2006 which contains: heavy metals and flame
retardant plastics. 28

29. » subject to regulation in relation to its
packaging (under the Packaging and
Packaging Waste Directive)
» anyone wishing to export for recycling must
use an Approved Exporter (approved by the
Environment Agency) using an appropriate
means of recycling or a re-use s
» Producer Compliance Schemes to ensure
accurate evidence of e-waste is collected,
that waste is handled in environmentally
appropriate ways (recycled where possible)
and that producers meet their obligations
29
under the WEEE directive scheme.

30. WEEE and RoHS directives practices engages in:
» Face to face accountability
» Metric forms of accountability
» Transparency-based accountability
» Engagement-based accountability
Obstacles / Challenges for EU:
» Logistics:
» Harmonization:
» Beyond rules:
» Awareness
» Enforcement:
» Due to challenges they faces, it is possible that EU would turn their
attention from awareness raising and education to possible
prosecution, public naming of transgressions and less acceptance of 30
defenses based on ignorance.

31. B
E-waste is classified as the largest growing waste
category on which more than 70% of the world’s e-waste is
sent to China
31

32. » estimation of 3.2 million tonnes in China domestically in
2010
» huge ecologic challenge but potential resource of
materials for manufacturing industry
» In Southern China , the government has introduced Circular
Economy as a new economic development model, a solution
to solve resources and environmental problems (Du et. al, 2006)
» focusing on the development and use of recycling
resources: effective countermeasure in solving depletion of
natural stock, energy shortage and environmental pollution
which poses as a critical social realistic problems.
32

33. » Guiyu Town, located in
Guangdong Province, China
(Famous case study for China)
» 4 important stakeholders /
sectors in E-waste recycling in China
are identified as follows:
˃Individual recyclers;
˃Supply and marketing cooperatives;
˃Manufacturers; and 33
˃Dismantling companies.

34. » several issues highlighted from this
case are as follows:
˃Formal Recycling vs. Informal Recycling:
˃No incentive policy about recycling and utilization of
recycling resources to guide the development of
recycling resources (Feng, 2006); and
˃Little input of fund, weak technological development
ability, poor processing technology and equipment of
recycling resources industry, insufficient environmental
consciousness, and some environmental pollutants are
not dealt with properly while processing waste plastic is
rough and unordered, causing secondary pollution 34
(water and air).

35. » Bin Li et. al. (2011) recommendations in order for
China to be able to properly manage their e-waste
issues:
˃ Emphasizing establishment of recycling resources utilization eco-park and
proper administration and monitoring;
˃ Setup of disassembling area for international e-waste;
˃ Mechanism of conserving resources and protecting environment should be
setup under market-oriented economy through a policy-mix such as
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), taxation and credit;
˃ From economic perspective, proper financial policy should be formulated
in order to support China’s circular economy;
˃ Mechanism of economic compensation for ecological restoration and
environmental protection should be explored in depth;
˃ Emphasizing more on Recycling system and mechanism related to Non-
People-Organisation (NPO) and Non-Governmental-Organisation (NGO)
and coordinative efforts between stakeholders to promote a local circular
society; and 35
˃ Bringing formerly invisible component of the economy sufficiently visible in
order to make citizens understand its existence and its goals.

36. » In brief, China strategies by tied it back to one
of the pillars of sustainable development;
economic
» the rest of stakeholders are bounded by
regulations and policy
» streamlining all activities regarding e-waste management of
a country yet being inclusive to participatory
approach by having Non-People Organization and Non-
Governmental Organization on board.
36

37. C
» Alan Finlay (2005), enlisted ten several e-waste
management fault-lines or challenges faces by
South Africa:
˃ Absence of legislation dealing specifically with e-waste;
˃ Most e-waste are located in storage;
˃ Differences of opinion on extent of problem of disposing e-waste
(non-hazardous) on landfills;
˃ Due to cost disposal led to some recycling operations ended up
with storage of hazardous waste;
˃ Cost of disposal may upset the financial model of current
recyclers;
˃ All major e-waste recyclers are based in Gauteng;
˃ Some importing and exporting of ‘raw’ e-waste;
˃ Many ICT multinationals shown little interest in e-waste in South
Africa;
˃ Potential threat of small-scale electrochemical processes being 37
introduced;
˃ A lack of general awareness of e-waste amongst public.

38. Alan Finlay (2005) again recommended several
strategies as follows:
» raising awareness in NGO sector in order to foster better
understanding on the implications of e-waste, and where it
can take old technology for refurbishment or recycling.
˃ lacking of this key-actor has led to communication gap and potential misalignment of e-waste
initiatives.
» develop collection and recycling capacity servicing wide
range of sector inclusive to homes, small businesses, and
themselves. In turn, they could develop partnership for
recycling capacity – opportunity for socio-economic
development.
» to lobby through consumer or other campaigns for ICT
vendors to take e-waste seriously to create the power of
consumer (market pull). Such strategy is considered as 38
bottom-up approach as the society / community voices up
their concerns through their ‘inevitable’ buying power.

39. Strategies adopted by South Africa in managing their e-waste
issues:
» Basel Convention Regional Centre (BCRC)
» Set up of an African Institute for Environmentally Sound
Management of Hazardous and Other Wastes (Ecroignard,
2005);
» Set up of multi-stakeholders of an e-waste Working Group
(consists of experts, hazardous waste recyclers, the
government, IT distributors and BCRC);
» Environmental Enforcement Unit a.k.a. Green Scorpions
» Adopting Swiss Recycling Model: underlines the practices of
high rate of recycling in an environmentally sound manner
39
which are certified and monitored

40. 5
» Each cases presented came with different sets of
background and dimension, it is wise for us to
properly consider which strategies should be the
most ideal and fit in to solve and manage our
current issues from local context.
» Contextualization: adopting strategies done by
other nations and then adapting/integrating
them within the context of Malaysia (with
possible risks of failure to be endured)
40

41. Characteristi Malaysia European China South Africa
cs / Country Union
1 Legislation No specific WEEE and No specific No specific
legislation RoHS legislation legislation on E-
on E-waste directives on E-waste waste
2 Awareness Minimum Average; Minimum Minimum
amongst suggesting
public education
41
as one
solution

42. Characteristics Malaysia European China South Africa
/ Country Union
3 Presence of Average; but Average; some Minimum; public Minimum; public are
Multi Key Actors public still manufacturers are lacking in terms lacking in terms of health
lacking and retailers of health and safety and safety issues, NGO is
are still off- issues, NGO is rather new chapter.
board ‘absent’.
4 Prominent 10th MP and WEEE and Circular Economy • Set up of an African
Strategy ETP: finalizing RoHS directives Model; focusing on Institute for
Adopted undertaking the development Environmentally
of Solid and use of recycling Sound Management
Waste resources of Hazardous and
Management Other Wastes
and Public • Setup of E-waste 42
Cleansing Working Group

43. » to engage the minds of the public to
actively participate in this cause to minimize e-
waste production; as they are the source of waste
production. As in European Union case, they are
currently focusing on educating the public through mass
media and awareness campaign.
» aimed at formulating an e-waste
specific regulation or policy such as
WEEE (European Union), surely we do not want to be
facing overproduction of e-waste in our country and
simply tap into other ‘destructive’ option i.e. exporting
our e-waste to other part of the world to be dumped in
the landfills. 43

44. » Circular Economy Model another
alternative; focus on the practices of
reuse rather than recycling in order to
increase environmental performance and to
provide socio-economic benefits to the peoples
through job opportunities.
44

45. » Holfontein site vist (2005), with an upward ‘push’ in the
hierarchy, with the preference being that waste
avoidance and recycling or re-use are maximized, thus 45
the downstream waste can be minimized.

46. After weighing pros and cons:
» it should be noted that with top-down and
bottom-up approaches, we could bring multi
key actors from the government, industries, and public
together on board in working out the best possible
practices to solve e-waste issues in Malaysia.
» All in all, it is up to us to decide the best sustainable
way to manage our e-waste within our local context
either to be ‘reactive’ or ‘proactive’.
Hence, the actions that we choose will secure the
sustainability of future generations be it from
46
environment, economic, and social pillars of
sustainable development.

47. Online Article / Forum / Information on Mother / Faith Test derived from:
1) G. Davis & S. Herat (2008) Electronic waste: The local government
perspective in Queensland, Australia in Resources, Conservation and
Recycling, 52: 1031–1039
2) B M Krishna Manda E-waste Management Policy in India: Stakeholders
perceptions and media attention, IIIEE Theses 2008:04 – Master’s Thesis
3) Deepali Sinha Khetriwal, Philipp Kraeuchi, Rolf Widmer, (2007) Producer
responsibility for e-waste management: Key issues for consideration –
Learning from the Swiss experience. Journal of Environmental
Management, 2007. xx: 1–13
4) Xuefeng Wen, Xiaohua Zhou and Hualong Hu, (2007) The new process in
integrated e-waste management in China
5) Guidelines for Classification of Used Electrical and Electronic Equipment
in Malaysia. Department of Environment Malaysia. Accessed from
http://www.doe.gov.my on October 1st, 2012.
6) 10th Malaysia Plan: Chapter 3 – Creating the Environment for Economic 47
Growth.
7) www.ppsppa.gov.my

48. Online Article / Forum / Information on Mother / Faith Test derived
from:
8) News Strait Times Online. Good Response to E-Waste Project dated July 24, 2012.
Accessed from http://www.nst.com.my on November 15, 2012.
9) Environmental Protection Agency, “Computer Display Industry and Technology
Profile”, EPA 744.R.98.005, December 1998
10) E. Williams, (2005) International activities on E-waste and guidelines for future
work, United Nations University, in: Third Workshop on Material Cycles and Waste
Management in Asia, National Institute of Environmental Sciences: Tsukuba, Japan.
11) Project Eden. WEEE Man Sculpture, Eden Project Cornwall. Accessed from
http://www.edenproject.com on December 1st, 2012.
12) Du, H.Z., Li, B. and Ding, H.J. (2009) Circular Economy and Regional Economic
Development in the Zheijang Province, Southern China, International Journal of
Environmental Technology and Management (IJETM), 11:4, p. 319-329
13) Feng, Z.J., eds. (2006) Circular Economy and Development of Shanghai. People’s
Publishing House: Beijing.
14) Li, B., Du, H. and Bao, J., (2011) Policy on E-waste in China – Case Study of Guiyu
Town, Guangdong Province. International Conference on Computer Distributed
Control and Intelligent Environmental Monitoring.
15) Finlay, A. (2005) E-Waste Challenges in Developing Countries: South Africa Case
Study. Issue Papers for Association for Progressive Communications.
16) Basel Convention Regional Centre (BCRC). Derived from www.baselpretoria.org.za, 48
accessed on October 2012, 16.

49. Images used in this presentation found from:
˃ footprintnetwork.org, intermediatetoo.blogspot.com,
en.wikipedia.org, glogster.com,epa.vic.gov.au,
iugreenteams.wordpress.com,
brucenguyen181.wordpress.com,
http://candobetter.net/node/1215, joelkostka.net,
foe.org.hk, youliveandlearn-eoi.blogspot.com,
nicholaspmiller.com, environment-clean-
generations.blogspot.com,
dawahaddict.blogspot.com, dushyantsavadia.net,
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