Dynamics of the interrelationship among consumers, e-wastes management, and environment sector: Focusing on the trend between e-wastes disposed and e-wastes recycled: A system dynamics approach

• Main Authors: Acantilado, John Aldrin S., Morales, John Emmanuel T.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2017
• Subjects: Refuse and refuse disposal; Waste products; Recycling (Waste, etc.); Engineering
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/18538
• Institution: De La Salle University

Nowadays, the attitude and desire of consumers to always have the latest technologies in their grasp without consideration to the environment have led to the rapid increase in electronic wastes. Electronic wastes became a global epidemic considering that the wastes are very toxic to both the environment and human beings. The problem has become a reason for concern because electronic wastes are now considered as the fastest growing waste stream not just in the United States, but also globally (Shegerian, 2015). The variables contributing to the problem on e-wastes could be understood properly by considering feedback loops and dynamic relationships that discrete or continuous mathematical programming models cannot do. Thus, there is a need to use a system dynamics approach that would investigate why trend of recycled e-wastes is relatively low as compared to the behavior of electronic wastes being disposed or discarded worldwide very year, as well as develop policies that would change the trend between the e-wastes disposal while maintaining or improving e-wastes recycling. The study would also observe the choices of consumers while having new, obsolete, and damaged electronics in their possession. Feedbacks of recycling and disposing e-wastes on the environment were also included. It is alarming that despite the efforts of researchers to improve electronic waste management processes, the large gap between the electronic wastes disposed and recycled still exists. The study was done through the development of a simulation model using the system dynamics methodology. The identified model provided the feedback loops of the system as well as the description of the structure covered system. The study will also examine quality of environment, greenhouse gas emissions, defective and non-defective consumer electronics contributing to the growth of electronic wastes, and the consumer behavior or decision making towards electronics possession (reselling), repairing, and replacement. The researchers made use of model validation and sensitivity analysis (scenario analysis) tools in examining the dynamics of the system. On the other hand, this study has also proposed unique, yet realistic policies aim to solve the dynamic problem of the system. Recommendations for future researchers (or studies) were also provided on the last chapter of the study.