Prediction of electronic waste disposals from residential areas in Malaysia

Abstract

The most fundamental element in planning electronic waste management is to acquire reliable data on the total volume of electronic waste generated from various sources such as residential premises, commercial buildings and industrial areas. Hence, a crucial aspect of electronic waste management is to predict the accumulation of electronic wastes in the future. This study aims to predict electronic waste to be disposed of for the next 15 years, focusing only on electronic waste from residential areas. A few rural and urban areas of residential premises were randomly selected as a case study. The result for this study was deduced from the survey and interviews conducted in the vicinity of the study area. Thirty sets of questionnaire were distributed randomly at each selected area. The residential area was divided into three categories i.e. residents with low income (LI), residents with medium income (MI) and residents with high income (HI). The survey was done by distributing the questionnaire to investigate electronic equipment usage and its lifespan by users as well as the waste management option preferred by the residents. The findings of the study showed that approximately 51% of the generated electronic waste will go through four stages of waste management options i.e. reuse, repair, remanufacturing and recycling, while approximately 49% of the generated electronic waste will go through the disposal option i.e. landfill sites. The result of the study showed that the predicted lifespan for the electronic equipment used by residents in Malaysia is between the ranges of 0-15 years. On average, as much as 5% of used home electronic equipment will be disposed of after 6 years of usage, 41% after 9 years and 3% after 12 years. From the study, the information regarding the percentage of electronic waste that will be reused, repaired, remanufactured, recycled and disposed of for the next 15 years can be gained and is presented via scientific analysis.