Journal
WASTE MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH
Volume 30, Issue 11, Pages 1130-1137Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD
DOI: 10.1177/0734242X11417986
Keywords
Electrical and electronic waste; waste quantification; WEEE disposal; People's Republic of China; E-waste generation
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Funding
- Public Policy Research Grant of the Research Grant Council of the Hong Kong Government [HKBU 2001-PPR-5]
- Marginally-Funded Post-Graduate Fund (on Persistent Toxic Substances) from the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong
- Faculty Research Grant of the Hong Kong Baptist University [FRG1/08-09/037]
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University research project, 'Cross-Border Environmental Protection Between Hong Kong and Guangdong Province' [1-BB05]
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Although waste quantification and projection are important data for waste management, the reliability of their results is difficult to verify. The present study attempted to identify the best waste quantification methods using e-waste quantification studies of mainland China as case studies. Large discrepancies in the predicted amounts of e-waste generated were found no matter whether the same or different methods of estimation are used. Moreover, even when agreements between studies were found, the agreed figures were not necessarily the correct figures. However, since without hindsight it is not possible to tell whether a projection figure is accurate, the convergence rule and a prudent approach to counting on studies conducted with meticulous scientific procedures should be adopted. Two worrying trends are noted. First, the transparency of data collection and computation methods in these studies was not high; second, irresponsible citation practices were found to have already spread to academic studies. As a result, leading organizations in the academic community should consider establishing a platform devoted to the reporting of false or dubious citations.
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