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Take back and treatment of discarded electronics: a scientific update

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Abstract

This paper indicates that the performance of tack-back and treatment of electronic waste (e-waste) system can be improved substantially. This can be reached by better taking into account in a better way the big variety in material composition and potential toxicity of electrical and electronic products - from a technical, organizational and regulatory perspective. Realizing that there is no ‘one size fit for all’ and combining smart tailor made solutions with economic of sale will result in the best environmental gain/cost ratio. Several examples show how science and engineering have supported or will support this approach.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Design for Sustainability Lab, Delft University of Technology, Delft, 2600, The Netherlands

    Ab Stevels, Jaco Huisman & Feng Wang

  2. Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Jinhui Li, Boyang Li & Huabo Duan

Authors
  1. Ab Stevels
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  2. Jaco Huisman
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  3. Feng Wang
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  4. Jinhui Li
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  5. Boyang Li
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  6. Huabo Duan
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Ab Stevels or Jinhui Li.

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Stevels, A., Huisman, J., Wang, F. et al. Take back and treatment of discarded electronics: a scientific update. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng. 7, 475–482 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-013-0538-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-013-0538-8

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