Determinants of e-waste workers' intention to wear respiratory protective equipment at work in Hong Kong

IntroductionE-waste workers in Hong Kong are exposed to more chemicals because more e-waste needs to be handled locally. However, studies suggested that many e-waste workers are unwilling to wear respiratory protective equipment (RPE) for different reasons. This study aimed to identify the determinants of e-waste workers' intention to wear RPE in Hong Kong.Material and MethodsWe recruited 109 e-waste workers from June 2021 to September 2022. A workplace RPE intention scale (WRPIEs) was developed based on validated Robertsen's RPE behavior intention model and Hong Kong Occupational Safety Culture Index. The WRPIEs was consolidated by exploratory factor analysis and further enhanced by confirmatory factor analysis. Multivariate linear regression was used to test the association between the identified domain factors and the intention to use RPE at work.ResultsMost of the participants were aged over 40 years (76%), had middle school or below educational degrees (83%), wore RPE (94%) at work, and had increased time of wearing RPE after the Covid-19 pandemic (69%). Four domain factors (containing 17 manifest variables) were confirmed, including ‘subjective norms (SN)', ‘supportive working conditions (SWC)', ‘autonomy', and ‘occupational safety and health'. The enhanced WRPIEs had good indices in internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α ranged: 0.78–0.94), good composite reliability (range: 0.79–0.95), and model fit (SRMR=0.05, RMSEA=0.03, CFI=0.99). Among the identified domain factors, SN (β=0.36) and SWC (β=0.30) significantly increased e-waste workers' intention to wear RPE at the workplace.ConclusionsThis newly validated WRPIEs scale can help capture Chinese e-waste workers' intention to wear RPE. Results from this study also suggested that various stakeholders could enhance SN and SWC to facilitate workers' willingness to wear PPE. (Acknowledgements: GRF/RGC-165056653 & VCDFIII-136366853. Ethics approval: CREC 2020.039;*shelly@cuhk.edu.hk)

Network Analysis of the Disaster Response Systems in the Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment Recycling Center in South Korea

Since dust and flammable gas are generated during the waste recycling process, there is always a risk of a fire accident. However, research on disaster management at recycling facilities deals only with the problem of processing systems from a technical standpoint and does not suggest concrete alternatives from a management aspect. Therefore, this study analyzed the influence of the disaster response network of a Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) recycling center at the organizational level based on the concept of the cognitive accuracy of a network considering administrative aspects. Accordingly, a survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire targeting 47 employees at the WEEE recycling center in South Korea and by applying the two-mode network analysis method using UCINET software, the centrality of the actor and the density of the network were quantitatively analyzed. Through this analysis, we confirmed that factors affecting the influence of the network exist, such that the entire network and the networks of different levels of position are different. We suggest that this can be improved by deploying safety and health management managers who perform formal tasks at the center of the network so that everyone can agree on the political approach and by empowering the safety and health management manager to conduct active education and training. Furthermore, we suggest that the network structure should be reorganized, centering on the person in charge of safety and health management to have a network system that matches each position.

Upcycling e-waste trash into innovative treasure

Renewable energy associations note that solar panels installed in the early-2000s solar energy boom are now reaching the end of their 25- to 30-year lifespan. Benjamin Sovacool, of the University of Sussex’s Science Policy Research Unit, describes how the developed world’s attempt to reduce its carbon footprint has led to environmental and public health risks, gender discrimination, child labour, and ethnic discrimination in the global South. Markus Spitzbart, head Sustainable E-Waste Management in Ghana, German Corporation for International Cooperation Furthermore, the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) has set up a project to create new centres and training courses for e-waste recycling and disposal methods for recyclers and scrap collectors.

Design of Game Data Acquisition System Based on Artificial Intelligence Algorithm

Game data collection system is a tool used to collect the behavior data of users about the game. It can be used for data analysis of user behavior so that game manufacturers can keep abreast of market dynamics and popular trends, and they also can have a deeper understanding of the behavioral habits and psychology of player user groups. The defects of the current data acquisition system include that the data are not encrypted. The network transmission efficiency is relatively low. The acquisition speed is slow, and the settings cannot be dynamically changed. This paper proposes to study how to enhance the acquisition ability and improve the analysis efficiency in the design of data acquisition system for solving these problems. Therefore, on the basis of artificial intelligence algorithm, this paper designs a game data collection system by using artificial neural network algorithm, support vector algorithm, and cluster analysis algorithm, which solves the basic problem of slow data collection in current data collection and plays a role in improving the efficiency of network transmission. The experimental results in this paper show that when the number of data is more than 300, the time-consuming time reaches more than 68 ms. When the number of written data is more than 300, it takes more than 181 ms. When the number of deleted data is more than 300, it takes more than 236 ms. From the above data, it shows that the designed game data collection system is rapid and efficient.

ELECTRONIC WASTE IN BRAZIL: GENERATION, COLLECTION, RECYCLING AND THE COVID PANDEMIC

Brazil is one of the main producers of e-waste in the world, but its waste management system does not encourage a circular economy. The country lacks reliable data on important metrics such as rates of collection and recycling and the destination of resources. There has been a slow regulatory progress, but it is not possible to measure its effectiveness without the aforementioned data. We obtained primary data to bridge this information gap by mapping and interviewing e-waste recyclers in Brazil. The mapping identified 140 recyclers, of which 82 were confirmed. Their geographical distribution closely matches the demographics. The COVID-19 pandemic did not have a severe impact on the country’s e-waste recycling chain. We have been able to estimate that Brazil recycles about 1.6kt of e-waste per month (77kt per year), based on the amount of waste processed, which is only 3.6% of the total e-waste generated. There is an uneven size distribution among e-waste recyclers;most (51.4%) are small facilities processing ≤10t per month. Large facilities (processing ≥100t per month) are in the minority (11.4%), yet they are responsible for processing 70.5%. These large facilities have the most advanced and automated processes, while the small facilities rely mainly on manual tools to dismantle the incoming e-waste. Despite observing an increase in more advanced processes, there has also been an increase in the number of facilities that export material (mainly to the USA and Europe). Therefore, Brazil is still unable to recover valuable end-materials from the recycling chain (e.g. gold, silver, rare earth elements), but seems to be supplying a more valuable product to international buyers who will, in turn, recover these end-materials.

Analyzing the challenges of e-waste management practices in India during COVID-19

Purpose This paper is aimed at analyzing the inter-contextual relationships among the factors that led to inadequate management of electronic and electrical waste (WEEE) during COVID-19 using a subjective perspective. Design/methodology/approach Grey sets and a Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL)-based approach has been employed to identify the causal association of intertwined WEEE management barriers. Findings Results reveal the lack of implementation of the legislative framework, extended producer responsibility and lesser corporate initiatives are some of the most challenging WEEE management challenges during the current pandemic. Practical implications The findings of the study would enable stakeholders of WEEE management toward building resilient policies and effective implementation plans during as well as post-crisis situations. Originality/value COVID-19 led challenges related to healthcare waste have attracted a significant amount of scholarly attention, but there has been lesser attention toward e-waste management challenges during the pandemic. Negligence toward e-waste management can pose threats to the environment as well as human well-being.

Green economy and waste management: An inevitable plan for materials science

Covid is giving us many lessons among which one must be to realize that this is the time to act for sustainable future. The smart world around us has made it inevitable to have an alarming situation regarding the uncontrolled growth of waste products such as plastic and electronic wastes. Both are immense threats to the health of human, wildlife and environment, that eventually affect the societal and economic structures as evident from recent Covid-crisis. The proper management of these wastes and innovating ideas for new sustainable technologies are the need of the hour. Circular economy act with green technology (green economy) is the way to tackle this challenge. Current perspective presents the overview of the scenario regarding these burgeoning issues and demonstrates some measures that are taken or being considered to depend on to come out of them.

A Review on Global E-Waste Management: Urban Mining towards a Sustainable Future and Circular Economy

The trending need for smarter electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) is surging globally by the year and is giving rise to huge amounts of outdated EEE going into landfills. This has caused enormous threats to our environment and the health of living beings due to its unsustainable ways of collection, treatment and disposal of waste EEE or E-waste. With increasing E-waste, the formal sectors lack infrastructure, technology and expertise required to collect and process the E-waste in an environmentally sound manner. This article is intended to bring out the global best practices in the field of E-waste management, to shed light on the importance of policy implementation, technology requirement and social awareness to arrive at a sustainable and circular economy. Although about 71% of the world’s populace has incorporated E-waste legislation, there is a need to enforce and implement a common legal framework across the globe. The article explains the gap created among the stakeholders and their knowledge on the roles and responsibilities towards a legalized E-waste management. It further explains the lack of awareness on extended producer responsibility (EPR) and producer responsibility schemes. Despite various legislations in force, numerous illegal practices such as acid leaching, open incineration, illegal dumping carried out by the informal sector are causing harm to the environment, natural resources and the safety of unorganized and unskilled labor. The article discusses the crucial need for awareness amongst stakeholders, consumer behavior and the global challenges and opportunities in this field to achieve a low-carbon, circular economy. To conclude, the article highlights the importance of common legal framework, EPR and licenses, transformation of the informal sector, benchmark technologies, responsibilities of various stakeholders and entrepreneurial opportunities to enhance the formal capacity. The article wholly advocates for transparency, accountability and traceability in the E-waste recycling chain, thus creating a greener environment and protecting our planet and natural resources for future generations.

A pathway to involve consumers for exchanging electronic waste: a deep learning integration of structural equation modelling and artificial neural network.

The pandemic of COVID-19 has disrupted every human life by putting the global activities at halt. In such a situation, people while staying at home tend to have an increased consumption which also leads to an increased level of waste generation. The case of electronic waste is also not different; however, it has severe repercussions while comparing it with other general household wastes. The application of reverse logistics by the manufacturers though serve the purpose but its success is highly dependent on the participation of the consumers. Hence, the present study is an attempt to gauge the level of participation of the consumers in the reverse exchange programs. Because of the predictability limitations of the typical Structural-Equation-Modelling models, the present study employs the deep learning of the dual-staged partial least squares-structural equation modelling artificial neural network approach. The findings of the study confirms the individual's attitude as the most significant determinant of the intention to exchange, followed by level of awareness and norms, whereas perceived behavior control was found to be least important though significant. Based on these findings, the manufacturers have been recommended to improve the consumers' involvement in reverse exchange programs, whereas government institutions are also recommended to encourage public-private partnerships in channelizing the product returns.

Analyzing Productivity and Behavior of Plastic Drop-Off Points: A Case Study of Send Plastic Home Project in Plastic Waste Recycling during COVID-19 Outbreak

In this work, the Productivity Index (PI) was developed for evaluating ten plastic drop-off points along the Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok, Thailand. Factor Analysis of Mixed Data (FAMD) was employed to study the effects of various parameters on drop-off point's performance. To explore plastic separation behaviors, the structured questionnaires were created based on the extended Theory of Planned Behavior, and the questionnaire's responses were then analyzed through the Structural Equation Model (SEM). The highest PI (0.0058) was observed from a drop-off point located in the shopping mall while that installed in a restaurant exhibited the lowest PI (0.0008). Besides environmental attitude and perceived behavioral control, a drop-off point facility was proved as another factor influencing people's intention towards plastic waste separation behavior. To improve the PI, drop-off point's bin design and location should be carefully optimized. Moreover, public relation on drop-off point campaigns and knowledge on household plastic waste separation should be promoted. These findings are helpful for the improvement or expansion of plastic drop-off point facilities as well as for the future development of waste recycling policy.