An evaluation on electronic waste management and product stewardship programs in North America
| dc.contributor.advisor | Ng, Kelvin Tsun Wai | |
| dc.contributor.author | Hasan, Mohammad Mehedi | |
| dc.contributor.committeemember | Jin, Yee-Chung | |
| dc.contributor.externalexaminer | Na (Jenna) | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-10-11T17:36:45Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-10-11T17:36:45Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2023-12 | |
| dc.description | A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Applied Science in Environmental Systems Engineering, University of Regina. x, 63 p. | |
| dc.description.abstract | Electronic waste (E-waste) has been extensively investigated by researchers throughout the globe, however specific research trends in North America (NA) are yet unknown. The first part of the study attempts to present an up-to-date bibliometric view of e-waste studies and to identify the research sub-fields and networks. A total of 271 documents were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) database (from 2001 to 2022). E-waste research topic that originated from NA, as well as its relative growth rate, collaborative measures, institutional productivity, and the popular journals were evaluated in this bibliometric analysis. The first part of the study showed that research productivity increased noticeably in the last decade. The USA has the most e-waste publications (74.62%), followed by Canada (22.38%) and Mexico (10.44%). The topic with the highest percentage of papers (151, or 55.72%) was environmental science. Resources Conservation and Recycling was the most active journal on e-waste research. The University of California, USA (10.70 %) played an active role in the publication, and Ogunseitan, O. A. was the most productive author (4.80 %) in this field. Author’s keywords can be generally grouped into four clusters. Network analysis results suggest that collaborative activities by leading universities will likely boost the number of studies. Researchers and policymakers will benefit from the first part of the study by gaining a better understanding of the development and the content trends of e-waste research. It is found in Part 1 that e-waste stewardship studies in Canada are limited, and they are specifically addressed in part 2. The amount of e-waste generated worldwide is growing at an explosive rate. The precious materials contained in this waste stream offers an ample business opportunity that produces high returns for the recyclers both in informal as well as formal sectors. A range of e-waste recycling companies have proliferated not only in developing countries but also in industrialized nations. The second part of the study further analyzed and evaluated e-waste management performances and recycling practices of a Canadian company that operates throughout the country. The company’s annual performance report from 2012 to 2020 served as the source for the e-waste statistics and related materials for the second part of the study. The corporate website is also considered in addition, to gain an overall understanding of the business portfolio. Temporal variations of performance factors were examined, and regression analysis was carried out to assess the relationships among various elements related to the recycling features. The study findings show that the overall e-waste collection rate throughout the country plummeted dramatically during the course of the investigation starting from 1.1-5.04 kg/capita to 1.4-3.0 kg/capita. E-waste drop-off points designated by the company have expanded by more than 800% and industry participation rose to more than 120% during the study period. Furthermore, study reveals that around 77% people in Canada are aware of the e-waste management and 97% people remain very close to the authorized e-waste collection points. The outcomes disclose that there is no overall correlation between public awareness and the rate of stewardship registration or e-waste collection. With just a few minor variations, the company's sector-specific yearly spending allocation over the investigation period was nearly identical. Corporation’s average total recycling expense ranges from $1,290 in 2012 to $1,578 in 2020. The outcomes of the current study can potentially inform recycling entrepreneurs and policy makers crafting methodical and strategic plans for the adoption of e-waste formalization management systems. | |
| dc.description.authorstatus | Student | en |
| dc.description.peerreview | yes | en |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10294/16430 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en |
| dc.publisher | Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina | en |
| dc.title | An evaluation on electronic waste management and product stewardship programs in North America | |
| dc.type | Thesis | en |
| thesis.degree.department | Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Engineering - Environmental Systems | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | University of Regina | en |
| thesis.degree.level | Master's | en |
| thesis.degree.name | Master of Applied Science (MASc) |