Environmental performance of collection boxes for end of life mobile phones

Abstract

Managing waste electrical and electronic equipment is currently one of the top priority challenges of waste management in the European Union. The collection and subsequent processing of waste electrical and electronic equipment are realized by means of the so-called collective systems that employ collection boxes varying in size and materials used for their production. This study focuses on quantifying and comparing environmental impacts of often-used collection boxes on the example of mobile phone collection. The comparison was based on volume (20 l, 60 l, and 70 l) and on the material used for the construction of the box (polypropylene, corrugated cardboard, and stainless steel). Other parameters, such as lifetime, material and energy performance for production, end of life stage, and waste generation were taken in account. The evaluation was carried out using the method of life cycle assessment with the characterization model CML 2001 created in GaBi 8. The goal of the study was to identify the box with the smallest environmental impact and to identify the hotspots in the life cycles of the individual collection boxes. The results of the study show that polypropylene boxes are the most environmentally suitable for collecting small waste electrical and electronic equipment as they produce the lowest environmental impacts in all of the impact categories evaluated, while boxes made of stainless steel have been found to represent the least environmentally friendly option. The results of the study provide and suggest to the collective system basic data for choosing the type of collection box.