DOI: 10.14457/tu.the.2017.220
title: Estimating and forecasting the generation of e-waste in Nepal: an end-of-life approach

description: This study is the very first attempt to to map the fate of e-waste generated from households of Nepal. Currently, there is no separate guideline for the collection and management of e-waste. Alarming increment in the imports of EEE signifies that the penetration of EEE is increasing all over Nepal. However, increasing amount of end of life (EoL) electronic products in Kathmandu metropolitan city (KMC), the capital city of Nepal, and other growing cities is the emerging concern. For this study, mobile phone, television and refrigerator are chosen as equipment in order to develop a model for estimating the generations of e-waste, as these are the most common electronic equipment used in households of KMC and Banepa. This study aims: a) to study the current practices of management of household e-waste in Nepal, b) to develop a model to estimate current status of WEEE generation and forecast the future trend based on current disposal behavior, and c) to propose concepts for improved e-waste management in Nepal.A simple model to illustrate the fate of obsolete EEE; the possible flows to reach its EoL options and different intermediate process before its EoL are investigated. Also, lifespans associated with each process to reach its EoL options are investigated.It is found that, e-waste from the households of KMC and Banepa are discarded to four EoL options, scrap dealers, shops, landfill (with other municipal waste) and corner of the house (keep storing without intention of reusing). It is the decision of the first user to choose any EoL options directly or followed by intermediate processes to dispose their used equipment. But, the amount of e-waste reaching to these options depends upon the three factors, disposal behaviors of the consumers, proportion of consumers discarding their equipment via different flows (TCs) and period for which consumers use their equipment before discarding (life spans). It is found that there is a significant difference in the behavior of consumers of KMC and Banepa to discard their mobile phone, television, and refrigerator. Also, it is found that there is a difference in the behavior of discarding same equipment between KMC and Banepa. Not only the disposal behavior, but lifespans (life span of new equipment that can be used without repairing, LN, extended life span of equipment after repairing, LRe, and life span of temporary storage before discarding to any EoL option, LSt) of same equipment are also found different among the two places.It is estimated that, in 2017, 386,763 kg to 443,397 kg of e-waste is generated in KMC as mobile phone, television and refrigerator. Although the units of generation is lower, refrigerator is highest contributor among three equipment (210,823 to 248,713 kg), followed by television (164,230 to 181,428 kg) and mobile phone (11,710 to 13,255 kg) in terms of weight.  And, it is estimated that, in 2017, 3,054 kg to 3,362 kg of e-waste is generated by households of Banepa as mobile phone, television and refrigerator. Unlike KMC, in Banepa, the highest contributor of e-waste among three equipment is television (2357-2544 kg), followed by refrigerator (560 to 634 kg) and mobile phone (167 to 183 kg). The average generation of e-waste per household of KMC in year 2017 is: 1.52 to 1.74 kg, which accounts about 0.38-0.43% of total municipal waste generated from household of KMC. Likewise, in Banepa, the average generation of e-waste per household in year 2017 is: 0.55 to 0.61 kg, which accounts about 0.11-0.12% of total municipal waste generated from households of Banepa. The average e-waste generation per household in KMC is almost three times higher than that of Banepa. The generation of e-waste as compared to municipal waste in KMC and Banepa is found significant, as the proportion is almost equal to the average proportion being generated in the world. Thus, we claim that there is urgency is establishing the proper law and enforce it as soon as possible so as to manage the e-waste in both the cities as well as in other places too.We claim that for any successful e-waste management initiative, detail study on the consumers’ behavior plays the central role. Further, we claim that the systematic quantification done in this study will help the policy makers to understand the size of the problem in order to make the sustainable management plan timely. We also want to encourage the policy makers and other research community to emphasize on the study of the generation and management practices on other different types of e-waste, for other types of consumers (like: industrial, institutional, etc.), in the other different part of the country too; for which this procedure could be useful. We conclude that proper and specific legislation, adequate awareness, appropriate infrastructural arrangements and transparent administrative controls are the key to address the current and future challenges due to growing volume of e-waste in Nepal.