The recent surge in electronic device usage has led to a notable rise in electronic waste (E-waste) generation, presenting significant environmental challenges. This study aims to quantify Kerala\'s E-waste inventory and formulate a comprehensive management plan. Utilizing sales data from 2017 to 2020 and estimating E-waste generation based on \"average\" or \"end-of-life\" durations of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) items, the analysis forecasts substantial E-waste quantities. Key assumptions include correlating sales data with E-waste generation and utilizing guidelines for estimating E-waste quantities based on EEE item types and sales figures. The highest E-waste generation is predicted for the years 2028-2029, estimated at 97,541 tonnes, which is crucial for the state\'s management strategy. To address this challenge, the study proposes a comprehensive environmental management plan that integrates the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle (3R) into its core strategies. The plan includes establishing 78 collection units across the state, strategically allocated based on the Taluk (a sub-division of a district) population, to ensure efficient E-waste collection and recovery of reusable items. Additionally, the study outlines the need for 273 recycling units statewide, with Malappuram district requiring the most units due to its high population density. The plan emphasizes efficient E-waste collection, segregation, and recycling, promoting responsible consumption and resource conservation. The study furnishes a \"cradle-to-grave\" framework for the management of E-waste at local, regional, and national levels, serving as a valuable resource for pollution control boards, regulatory bodies, statutory bodies, and research organizations alike.

Research to prevent releases of brominated flame retardants listed as persistent organic pollutants by the Stockholm Convention (POP-BFRs) was conducted through an international cooperation project in Colombia. Six waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) management facilities implemented: 1) sorting e-waste by product type and color (black, white, and other; henceforth called chromoproducts), 2) sampling test products and their plastic fraction (called sets, separated by polymer type), 3) monitoring mass, bromine and antimony contents by hand-held X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and POP-BFRs such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and 4) differentiated treatment according to categories that used the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (RoHS) hazardousness threshold of 1000 mg ∑PBDEs/kg. This scheme led to the proposal of a methodology for WEEE management called the \"chromoproduct approach\". 994,230 products were managed and grouped into 222 chromoproducts, from which 77 were analyzed: 50 below RoHS hazardousness (BRH), 16 above RoHS hazardousness (ARH), and 11 unknown RoHS hazardousness (URH). XRF indicators using bromine and antimony contents could rule out pollution in BRH chromoproducts; however, categorization still required GC-MS. One ARH plastics sample had 3620 mg ∑PBDEs/kg, while no POP-BFRs were found in the BRH plastics sample. The implementation of the chromoproduct approach traced 153.6 tonnes of ARH plastics. BRH plastics composition was estimated and used in a pilot-scale closed-loop economic activity. The chromoproduct approach seems promising for avoiding POP-BFR releases and promoting the upcycling of recyclable e-waste plastics.

Advances in digital electronics delivered small and portable gadgets, changing human interface with technology. Demand for new small devices of Information and Telecommunication Technology (small-IT) that have a short lifespan, like smartphones and laptops, creates flows and accumulation of electronic resources. These include precious metals that show potential for Urban Mining and Circular Economy. To find out the extent of setting up an improved recycling, reuse and repair system, data collection was conducted through surveys, bin observations and social experiments. These methods enabled us to analyse stocks and flows, identify behavioural practices and map collection infrastructure. About 80% of domestic small-IT stocks are hibernated, meaning they could be directly reused or easily repaired. Results show four barriers that keep citizens from handing in their unused small-IT: Devices are kept as back-up, they contain sentimental value, citizens are suspicious of post-collection data confidentiality issues and there is a perceived high effort to recycle. Drivers to enhance circularity are: improving e-waste infrastructure, introducing economic incentives and raising awareness on environmental impacts of hibernated stocks. A more trustworthy and legitimate management system is expected to deliver safety and confidentiality of personal data and provide the quality that fits the expectations of citizens of a proper place to dispose of their valuable items.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology has established itself as an effective tool for identifying various objects in all human and business areas. There are many studies describing the use of this technology. However, scientific articles only marginally address the issue of recycling or reusing radio frequency identifiers. Radio frequency identifiers are defined as electronic waste by European Union legislation. This article deals with the environmental burden resulting from the use of radio frequency identifiers in a selected logistics centre and courier company in the Slovak and Czech Republic territories. The research and its relevance have become topical in the context of pandemics and with the increasing demand for products and courier services. In order to access the level of the above-mentioned environmental burden in a relevant way, an analysis of the circulation of transport units (pallets) and radio frequency identifiers in the selected logistics centre was carried out. The research results showed that the selected logistics centre generated annually 5.7 t of the e-waste from radio frequency identifiers placed on received pallets. The amount of 139 kg of metal was present in the e-waste quantity. The partial results of the research were applied to the e-commerce area. This article\'s conclusion is dedicated to the characterization of possibilities of reducing the environmental burden from the use of radio frequency identifiers in logistics.

Electronic waste (e-waste) has become one of the major causes of environmental concerns due to its large volume, high generation rate and toxic environmental burdens. Recent estimates put e-waste generation at about 54 million tonnes per annum with figures reaching approximately 75 million tonnes per annum by 2030. In this manuscript, the state-of-the-art technologies and techniques for segregation, recovery and recycling of e-waste with a special focus on the valorisation aspects of e-plastics and e-metals which are critically reviewed. A history and insight into environmental aspects and regulation/legislations are presented including those that could be adopted in the near future for e-waste management. The prospects of implementing such technologies in the State of Kuwait for the recovery of materials and energy from e-waste where infrastructure is lacking still for waste management are presented through Material Flow Analysis. The information showed that Kuwait has a major problem in waste accumulation. It is estimated that e-waste in Kuwait (with no accumulation or backlog) is generated at a rate of 67,000 tpa, and the imports of broadcasting electronics generate some 19,428 tonnes. After reviewing economic factors of potential recovered plastics, iron and glass from broadcasting devices in Kuwait as e-waste, a total revenue of $399,729 per annum is estimated from their valorisation. This revenue will open the prospect of ventures for other e-waste and fuel recovery options as well as environmental benefits and the move to a circular economy.

Most of the electric and electronic waste is not recycled and the release of its components into the environment is expected, including the rare-earth element Lanthanum (La), which has already been reported in the aquatic systems. Furthermore, considering climate change factors such as the predicted increase in temperature, the susceptibility of aquatic organisms to these rare elements may be modified. In light of this, the present study aimed to evaluate the relevance of temperature on La-derived effects in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Several biomarkers and La bioaccumulation were assessed in organisms exposed to 0 (control) and 10 μg/L of La at two distinct temperatures (17 and 22 °C) for 28 days. Results showed that temperature did not influence La bioaccumulation in mussels. However, exposure to La resulted in a decreased metabolic capacity and an enhancement of biotransformation enzymes activity, as a possible defense behavior of mussels to avoid La accumulation and toxicity. Nevertheless, antioxidant defenses were also inhibited leading to increased lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels. Warming alone seemed to cause a metabolic shutdown seen as reduced enzyme activities and protein carbonylation (PC) levels. Simultaneous La exposure and temperature rise caused combined effects on mussels, as they accused metabolic depression, biotransformation defenses activation, antioxidant capacity reduction, and higher cellular damage. Overall, this study highlights the need to perform environmental risk assessment studies, by considering emerging contaminants exposures at relevant concentrations, both at present and forecasted climate change scenarios.

Considering that electronic wastes (e-wastes) have been recently recognized as a potent environmental and human threat, the present study aimed to assess the potential risk of personal computer motherboards (PCMBs) leaching into aquatic media, following a real-life scenario. Specifically, PCMBs were submerged for 30 days in both distilled water (DW) and artificial seawater (ASW). Afterwards, PCMBs leachates were chemically characterized (i.e., total organic carbon, ions, and trace elements) and finally used (a) for culturing freshwater (Chlorococcum sp. and Scenedesmus rubescens) and saltwater (Dunaliella tertiolecta and Tisochrysis lutea) microalgae for 10 days (240 h), (b) as the exposure medium for mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis (96 h exposure), and (c) for performing the Cytokinesis Block Micronucleus (CBMN) assay in human lymphocytes cultures. According to the results, PCMBs could mediate both fresh- and marine algae growth rates over time, thus enhancing the cytotoxic, oxidative, and genotoxic effects in the hemocytes of mussels (in terms of lysosomal membrane impairment, lipid peroxidation, and NO content and micronuclei formation, respectively), as well as human lymphocytes (in terms of MN formation and CBPI values, respectively). The current findings clearly revealed that PCMBs leaching into the aquatic media could pose detrimental effects on both aquatic organisms and human cells.

Waste solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are considered as one of the fastest-growing future waste streams under the category of large electronic waste (e-waste). The lifespan of solar panels varies from 20 to 30 years, and an appropriate reverse logistics network design is essential to manage the waste stream efficiently once their lifetime expires. Mixed-integer programming-based RL model is proposed in this paper for New South Wales, Australia that minimizes the overall cost by identifying optimal locations and sizing of the collection points while determining optimal capacities for recycling facilities. Using the historical data (2001-2017) on the installed capacity of solar panels in the state, the potential waste generation (at council-level) is estimated and optimized solutions are proposed for the year 2047. The results of the study show that the highest waste solar PV will be generated at Murrumbidgee, Berrigan, Balranald, and Bogan councils. Out of 129 councils in the state, the model identifies 78 optimized-locations of the collection points that would be required in the councils. In the councils of Newcastle, Narrandera and Wagga Wagga, three major recycling facilities would need to be established. This is the first systematic attempt in designing an optimized RL network in Australia focusing on waste solar PV. Policy-makers will find this research highly valuable in decision-making on local recycling infrastructure development.

The paper investigates the potential of circular economy of authorized e-waste collectors, dismantlers, and recyclers of Maharashtra. The study determines the drivers and barriers associated with e-waste collection in the region. Furthermore, it explores the handling techniques including dismantling, recycling, and scrap disposal. This is done through a case study of a recycling company based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. A questionnaire-based survey is used to study e-waste processing units. The qualitative analysis of the questionnaire shows that lack of awareness of environmental impact is the greatest constraint in the collection of e-waste and data security is the most crucial driver for enhancing the collection of e-waste. The case study reveals that the quantity and type of e-waste are more important than the distance between the processing unit and the collection point. It discloses that the primary factor for building trust between e-waste collectors and waste holders is data security.

With the technological advances and economic development, the multiplicity and wide variety of applications of electrical and electronic equipment have increased, as well as the amount of end-of-life products (waste of electrical and electronic equipment, WEEE). Accompanying their increasing application, there is an increasing risk to aquatic ecosystems and inhabiting organisms. Among the most common elements present in WEEE are rare earth elements (REE) such as Dysprosium (Dy). The present study evaluated the metabolic and oxidative stress responses of mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed to an increasing range of Dy concentrations, after a 28 days experimental period. The results obtained highlighted that Dy was responsible for mussel\'s metabolic increase associated with glycogen expenditure, activation of antioxidant and biotransformation defences and cellular damage, with a clear loss of redox balance. Such effects may greatly impact mussel\'s physiological functions, including reproduction capacity and growth, with implications for population conservation. Overall the present study pointed out the need for more research on the toxic impacts resulting from these emerging pollutants, especially towards marine and estuarine invertebrate species.