Present status of e-waste disposal and recycling in China

Due to rapid economic growth, faster upgrade of electrical and electronic equipment causes the ever-increasing quantity of waste electrical and electronic products (WEEE). At present, China is not only a large consumption nation of electrical products, but also a largest importer of e-waste. Through reviewing the present status of e-waste industry and the legal system in China, this article analyzing several problems and barriers in China's e-waste recycling industry: (a) illegal e-waste import from developed countries; (b) the booming development of China's informal recycling sectors; (c) informal disposal leading to serious environmental problems and human health impacts; (d) formal companies facing with the problems of severe lack of e-waste; (e) the morbidity of China's regulatory and legal system. What's more, compared with several developed countries in e-waste management, this paper also recommends that (a) building up the regulatory system of e-waste management in both central and local government; (b) encouraging the development of formal disposal of WEEE; (c) forcing enterprises to focus on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). (C) 2012 Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Basel Convention Coordinating Centre for Asia and the Pacific and National Center of Solid Waste Management, Ministry of Environmental Protection of China.