title: Uncovering the Recycling Potential of "New" WEEE in China.
abstract: Newly defined categories of WEEE have increased the types of China's regulated WEEE from 5 to 14. Identification of the amounts and valuable-resource components of the "new" WEEE generated is critical to solving the e-waste problem, for both governmental policy decisions and recycling enterprise expansions. This study first estimates and predicts China's new WEEE generation for the period of 2010-2030 using material flow analysis and the lifespan model of the Weibull distribution, then determines the amounts of valuable resources (e.g., base materials, precious metals, and rare-earth minerals) encased annually in WEEE, and their dynamic transfer from in-use stock to waste. Main findings include the following: (i) China will generate 15.5 and 28.4 million tons WEEE in 2020 and 2030, respectively, and has already overtaken the U.S. to become the world's leading producer of e-waste; (ii) among all the types of WEEE, air conditioners, desktop personal computers, refrigerators, and washing machines contribute over 70% of total WEEE by weight. The two categories of EEE-electronic devices and electrical appliances-each contribute about half of total WEEE by weight; (iii) more and more valuable resources have been transferred from in-use products to WEEE, significantly enhancing the recycling potential of WEEE from an economic perspective; and (iv) WEEE recycling potential has been evolving from ∼16 (10-22) billion US$ in 2010, to an anticipated ∼42 (26-58) billion US$ in 2020 and ∼73.4 (44.5-103.4) billion US$ by 2030. All the obtained results can improve the knowledge base for closing the loop of WEEE recycling, and contribute to governmental policy making and the recycling industry's business development.
authors.affiliation: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Xianlai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Environmental Management College of China , Qinhuangdao, Hebei 066102, China.
authors.forename: Ruying
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Center for Industrial Ecology, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University , New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States.
authors.forename: Wei-Qiang
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Jinhui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D059029:Electronic Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D004581:Electronics; D006794:Household Articles; D008670:Metals; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D059027:Recycling / Q000379:methods*; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008670:Metals