Quantification and characterization of recovered materials in the cycle of the informal household electronic waste dismantling in Buriram province,Thailand: A challenge towards sustainable management and circular economy

Abstract

The numerous amount of electronic waste (e-waste) has not been managed effectively resulting informal dismantling sites are being expanded in Thailand. The government attempts to improve the efficiency of an integrated e-waste management system, but baseline data of e-waste stream in informal sectors are insufficient. This research aimed to investigate the inflow and outflow of the materials throughout the informal e-waste dismantling processes at the well-known second-largest community in Buriram province during 2017–2018. To describe the quantities of dismantled materials, a material flow analysis was performed. The overall amount of e-waste taken to the community was estimated to be in the range of 1593–12,943 tonnes year⁻¹. Valuable materials could be recovered at more than 90% (by mass) from fans, refrigerators, washing machines, microwaves and air conditioners. The amount of e-waste residue that the local administrative organization had to handle was up to 1144 tonnes year⁻¹. The quantitative data retrieved from this study could provide a satisfactory equation for estimating the amount of separated valuable and non-valuable materials. Recyclable materials from dismantling have an economic incentive, e-waste dismantlers in a small and large household group that can earn approximately 798 and 1262 USD month⁻¹ income, respectively. The notable e-waste characterization and quantification of recovered materials would be useful for improving the potential circular flow of e-waste in Thailand.