Dr. Nancey Leigh of Georgia Institute of Technology and Professor Yuan Qifeng, Sun Yat-Sen University will host a workshop on ?Designing e-waste material flow systems for sustainable regional economic development: exploring U.S. and Chinese Approaches? at Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, on July 31-August 2, 2010. Dr. Leigh and her colleague will carry out a pre-meeting fact-finding visit to the key e-waste site in Guangdong Province, Guiyu Township, on February 3-5, 2010. The proposed workshop can foster interaction across disciplines and continue the research on electronic waste material flows as well as optimum waste diversion and management strategies. It can also impact society by aiming to increase the economic development potential of legitimate recycling activities, while reducing harmful environmental impacts of managing U.S. waste in the global economy.
This workshop will be supported jointly by Guangdong Province, China, and the U.S. National Science Foundation.
China-U.S. Forum on Sustainable Solutions to Global and Regional E-Waste* August 1-3, 2010 Guangzhou, China Supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE), the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) proposed and co-hosted a China-U.S. Forum on Sustainable Solutions to Global and Regional E-Waste with the China National Electric Apparatus Research Institute (CEI) in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province of China, August 1-3, 2010. This Forum was designed to: facilitate knowledge-sharing between countries and disciplines on optimum electronic waste management strategies, identify specific collaborative projects across disciplines and institutions, contribute to the development of market-based approaches for proper recycling, and develop innovative strategies for waste management and sustainable local economic development. The Forum was a major outreach effort of a five-year NSF-funded research project on Sustainable Industrial Systems for Urban Regions (SISFUR) that is modeling the material flow, energy, emissions, and socioeconomic impacts specifically associated with electronics recycling processes in U.S. metropolitan areas. Thus, the Forum had a particular focus on fostering the economic development potential of legitimate recycling activities within metropolitan areas, while promoting geographic responsibility and reducing harmful environmental impacts of global e-waste management. The Forum included plenary sessions, focus-group discussions, and a half-day field trip to a new PCB recycling factory located in Qingyuan City. Nearly 70 representatives from academia, government, and industry from both China and the U.S. attended the Forum. In addition to the NSF OISE Office, support and attendance for the Forum were received from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Based on discussions and post-event surveys, the attendees concluded that China and the U.S. differ in terms of the goals, major challenges, and preferable methods of sustainable e-waste management. Among all the technical issues involved, CRT glass recycling is unanimously regarded as the key technical barrier facing recyclers. Furthermore, major challenges of sustainable practice are seen not to be mechanical or technological difficulties, but rather economic and social barriers in e-waste system planning and design. Neither China nor the U.S. has a well-established mechanism to finance e-waste system operation. Research on this issue is particularly needed. Further, significant data gaps exist in terms of the amount, movement, cross-border flow of e-waste; LCA technical data; and economic value of recycled electronics on the secondary market. These data gaps highlight the need for database development through collaboration among industries, academia, and government, as well as, countries. In response to the challenges of sustainable e-waste management, the attendees provided the following recommendations: (1) seek financing mechanisms for e-waste management, cost distribution among stakeholders, and economic incentives of recycling market development; (2) increase investment in R&D for eco-design technology and equipment; (3) strengthen the collaboration between research and practice; (4) develop both command-and-control (e.g., international laws) and voluntary mechanisms (e.g., license and certificate program for recyclers); (5) develop gradual systems of regulations, but focus on the enforcement of regulations and laws; (6) increase public education; (7) focus on local solutions to waste management; and (8) pay more attention to "reduce and reuse" in addition to the end-of-life "recycling." *This forum was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE) Grant No. 4806AAC and 4806AAE. This summary was prepared by Professor Nancey Green Leigh and Doctoral Candidate Ning Ai of the Georgia Tech School of City and Regional Planning. More information is available at http://sisfur.coa.gatech.edu.
