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Life Cycle Assessment and Material Flow Analysis: Two Under-Utilized Tools for Informing E-Waste Management

Author

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  • Sohani Vihanga Withanage

    (School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED), University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W, Waterloo, ON N2L3G1, Canada)

  • Komal Habib

    (School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED), University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W, Waterloo, ON N2L3G1, Canada)

Abstract

The unprecedented technological development and economic growth over the past two decades has resulted in streams of rapidly growing electronic waste (e-waste) around the world. As the potential source of secondary raw materials including precious and critical materials, e-waste has recently gained significant attention across the board, ranging from governments and industry, to academia and civil society organizations. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the last decade of e-waste literature followed by an in-depth analysis of the application of material flow analysis (MFA) and life cycle assessment (LCA), i.e., two less commonly used strategic tools to guide the relevant stakeholders in efficient management of e-waste. Through a keyword search on two main online search databases, Scopus and Web of Science, 1835 peer-reviewed publications were selected and subjected to a bibliographic network analysis to identify and visualize major research themes across the selected literature. The selected 1835 studies were classified into ten different categories based on research area, such as environmental and human health impacts, recycling and recovery technologies, associated social aspects, etc. With this selected literature in mind, the review process revealed the two least explored research areas over the past decade: MFA and LCA with 33 and 31 studies, respectively. A further in-depth analysis was conducted for these two areas regarding their application to various systems with numerous scopes and different stages of e-waste life cycle. The study provides a detailed discussion regarding their applicability, and highlights challenges and opportunities for further research.

Suggested Citation

  • Sohani Vihanga Withanage & Komal Habib, 2021. "Life Cycle Assessment and Material Flow Analysis: Two Under-Utilized Tools for Informing E-Waste Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-21, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:14:p:7939-:d:595315
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Bablu K. Ghosh & Saad Mekhilef & Shameem Ahmad & Swapan K. Ghosh, 2022. "A Review on Global Emissions by E-Products Based Waste: Technical Management for Reduced Effects and Achieving Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-19, March.
    2. Nadja von Gries & Stefan Bringezu, 2022. "Using New Spare Parts for Repair of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment? The Material Footprint of Individual Components," Resources, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-16, February.
    3. Shahjadi Hisan Farjana & Tatenda Miriam Mungombe & Hasith Madhumahda Kahanda Gamage & Anmol Sarfraj Rajwani & Olubukola Tokede & Mahmud Ashraf, 2023. "Circulating the E-Waste Recovery from the Construction and Demolition Industries: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-20, August.
    4. Gimhan Jayasiri & Sunil Herat & Prasad Kaparaju, 2023. "Management of Small WEEE: Future Directions for Australia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-22, September.
    5. Dhiya Durani Sofian Azizi & Marlia M. Hanafiah & Kok Sin Woon, 2023. "Material Flow Analysis in WEEE Management for Circular Economy: A Content Review on Applications, Limitations, and Future Outlook," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-22, February.

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