Article Analysis

Contents
Identification of appropriate UNSDG........................................................................................3
Identification of the important stakeholders..............................................................................3
Reflective analysis.....................................................................................................................4
References..................................................................................................................................8
Identification of appropriate UNSDG

The article in discussion was published in the year 2021 by Nick Kilvert. The article falls in
the category of environmental science and focusses on e-waste surge in 2021 (Kilvert, 2021).
E-waste has been defined as electronic wastes destined for reuse, refurbishment, salvage
recycling or resale via material recovery. At the same time, electronic disposals are also
considered as e-waste. The article has revealed some eye-opening facts associated with e-
waste. By 2030, the potential e-waste across the globe will be more than seventy million
tonnes every year. Only around 17 percent of the e-waste recycled in an effective manner
(Kilvert, 2021). At the same time, there is an urgent need for moving to circular economy for
reaching net-zero emissions.

The issue of e-waste has been identified in one of the sustainable development goals by the
United Nations. The UNSDGs, also known as global goals, comprise of collection of
seventeen interlinked goals across the globe. The goals are identified as a blueprint for
achieving better & more sustainable future goals. The appropriate UNSDG in which e-waste
management comes is UNSDG Number 12 which is Responsible Consumption & Protection
(SDGS, 2021). The objective of this sustainable development goal is enduring sustainable
consumption as well as production patterns. E-waste, its recognition and management is one
of the critical aspects identified under this UNDG goal.

Identification of the important stakeholders

Individuals have stake in the conversation as well as environmental management of their own
interests as well as of the external environment itself. A simple definition of a stakeholder is
anyone having vested interest within an organization or a cause, and is able to effect as well
as be impacted by the performance and operations of the business or cause (UNSDG, 2021).
Since the discussion is about e-waste, global changes and need for sustainable change, the
stakeholders include anyone who have an impact on this e-waste as well as all those who are
affected or will be affected by this change in near future.

The current article focussed on the increasing issue of e-waste. The article identified the
reasons behind huge creation of e-waste across the globe and the potential strategies to
minimise the production. Several stakeholders were identified in this article. Some of these
were:
Manufacturers: This stakeholder is responsible for manufacturing of the electronic products.
This stakeholder group has the accountability and responsibility of minimizing the carbon
footfall by minimizing e-waste (Bressanelli, Perona & Saccani, 2019).

Electronic companies: The electronic companies conduct research, surveys to identify the
consumer needs and demands and with innovation and creativity, develop hosts of electronic
products to satisfy these consumers demands.

Consumers: The consumers are a critical stakeholder group in management of this

environmental degradation. They are the users of the various electronic goods produced by
organizations and manufacturing companies (Comacho-Otero, Boks & Pettersen, 2018).

Government: This stakeholder group comprises of legislators and policymakers who have the
responsibility and accountability of driving change and minimizing e-waste across the globe
(Bressanelli, Perona & Saccani, 2019). They also have the responsibility of providing right
incentives to the manufacturing organizations and electronic brands so that they are
motivated to work in a circular economy and take responsibility for proper management of
the e-waste.

NGOs and awareness programs: This stakeholder group comprises of NGOs as well as
public and private institutions who are working towards creating awareness about the
implications of e-waste as well as persuading the corporations and government to make the
necessary changes and reduce the negative impact on e-waste on present and future
generations (Corsini, Rizzi & Frey, 2017).

Scientific Community: The article also mentioned need for scientific community and
inventions that would help the manufacturers in easy disposal or renewal of the e-waste in a
circular economy (Borthakur & Singh, 2017).

Reflective analysis

A major downside of the economic & social progress in the past century is the significant
environmental degradation. As a result, the ecosystem is significantly endangered along with
the global future. A major component of this economic & social progress is increasing global
production and consumption of the resources for the economy (Corsini, Rizzi & Frey, 2017).
This production & consumption rely on natural resources and environment in a manner which
continued to have significant negative impact on this planet. The worldwide population is
expected to reach almost 10 billion by 2050, equivaling almost three earths for providing the
resources required for sustaining the present lifestyle (Kilvert, 2021).

One of the most worrisome aspects in the global waste production is the increasingly amount
of e-waste generated across the globe (Comacho-Otero, Boks & Pettersen, 2018). This issue
has been rightly identified in the article. The e-waste production has increasingly
significantly, partly as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic which has increased the reliance on
electronics and technologies for entertainment and home offices. According to WEEE (Waste
Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Forum, more than 57 million tonnes of waste is
expected to be generated by the end of 2021 (Kilvert, 2021). Despite the fact that e-waste
comprises of valuables such as gold, silver, rare earth metals and glass, less than 20 percent
of this e-waste is effectively recycled . This is far from the public perception that almost 45-
50 percent of the e-waste is recycled.

Another critical issue identified in the article was the issue of linear economy. One of the
major reasons for this significant gap between electronic items products and e-waste recycled
is having linear approach towards manufacturing, ownership as well as disposal (Becerra,
Carenzo & Juarez, 2020). Organizations develop products and once these products are
purchased by the consumers, the sole responsibility apart from manufacturing faults is given
to the consumers. This means disposal of the product becomes consumer responsibility. Very
limited amount is recycled and majority of these products reach landfill. However, this model
has become extremely unreliable as it is putting indefinite pressure on the finite resources of
this earth and making it fundamentally unsustainable.

The article also identified a potential solution to this global issue. This solution is
transitioning to a circular economy. In a circular model, manufacturers will have the
responsibility towards end-of-life management of the electronic products that provide huge
profits to them (Science Daily, 2021). When an electronic products, whether it is washing
machine or a phone, stops working, the manufacturer will take it back. With the appropriate
motivation and right incentives, the manufacturer or the organization will have the task of
either repairing, repurposing the working sections or recycling components towards reuse
(Atlason, Giacalone & Parajuly, 2017). For materials that cannot be recycled, there is the
option of transitioning to the other products.
A circular economy focusses on three major factors. The first is value preservation which
implies maintaining highest value from input to production as well as final products. The
goals here are repurposing, refurbishing, remanufacturing, reusing and repairing components,
extending product life & product value (Comacho-Otero, Boks & Pettersen, 2018). The
second aspect is resource optimization which focusses on efficient, lessened and limited use
of the primary resources along with improved resource recycling, waste collection as well as
energy recovery. The third aspect is system effectiveness. The focus is overall system
effectiveness and reducing systematic leakage.

While circular economy is no doubt one of the most effective and realistic solution for the
global issue of e-waste. There are several barriers to it which the identified stakeholders need
to overcome for achieving a circular economy. Four major barriers are financial, social,
institutional and technical (World Economic Forum, 2018). Some of the major financial
issues are high costs of transition, upfront investment, product pricing as well as
measurement of growth as well as economic viability associated with recycling processes. A
major institutional barrier is the deep roots associated with linear mindset. The regulatory
structures are inflexible or complicated (Awasthi, 2017). Also, there is limited scope for
leadership and integrated action. Social barriers are also plenty. There is resistance towards
change from manufacturers and organisations. There is lack of sense towards urgency and
awareness among institutions. Technical barriers are also high. Most of the processes and
strategies are designed for disposal and producers have little incentive towards overhauling
their entire design processes towards a circular economic process (Atlason, Giacalone &
Parajuly, 2017). There is planned obsolesce meaning majority of the products are designed
towards degradation and little availability of the spare parts for effective reuse. There is
difficulty in separating the technical & biological nutrients. Also, there is significant lacking
in terms of information exchange (Borthakur & Singh, 2017). Technical barriers also include
lack of appropriate metrics for measuring circularity.

The above analysis clearly indicates a need for greater collaboration among the stakeholders
in action which include multinationals, SMEs (small and medium enterprises), academic,
civil society, entrepreneurs, trade unions as well as governmental and non-governmental
associations (World Economic Forum, 2018). This will help in creation of circular economy
towards electronic so that the e-waste is appropriately designed out and the overall
environmental impact is reduced while creating decent employment opportunity for millions.
The marketing implications for the stakeholders will be profound if not unachievable. The
manufacturers will need to create a system wherein discarded products will be collected and
components or materials will be reintegrated towards new product development (Awasthi,
2017). The objective will be creation of newer economic growth, business opportunities and
green jobs. There will also be reduced need for raw materials, energy and waste disposal. The
CO2 emissions is expected to reduce substantially. At industry level, organizations will need
to research and transform their supply chain for making it more sustainable (Becerra, Carenzo
& Juarez, 2020). The firms will also need to include ethical and responsible disposal
strategies along with educating stakeholders such as suppliers, vendors and consumers
regarding responsible disposal of their devices (ITU, 2021). Consumers will have the
responsibility of sustainable use of their electronic devices, understand the importance of
recycling and resale including using certified disposal firms or recycling points.
References

Atlason, R.S., Giacalone, D. & Parajuly, K., (2017). Product design in the circular economy:
Users’ perception of end-of-life scenarios for electrical and electronic appliances. J. Clean.
Prod. 168, 1059–1069.

Awasthi, A. (2017). Management of electrical and electronic waste: A comparative

evaluation of China and India. Renew. Sust. Energ. Rev. 76, 434–447

Becerra, L., Carenzo, S. & Juarez, P. (2020). When circular economy meets inclusive
development. Insights from urban recycling and rural water access in Argentina.
Sustainability 12 (9809), 1–21

Borthakur, A. & Singh, P. (2017). Researches on informal E-waste recycling sector: it’s time
for a ‘Lab to Land’ approach. J. Hazard Mater. 323, 730–732

Bressanelli, G., Perona, M. & Saccani, N. (2019). Challenges in supply chain redesign for the
Circular Economy: a literature review and a multiple case study. Int. J. Prod. Res. 57 (23),
7395–7422

Comacho-Otero, J., Boks, C. & Pettersen, I.N. (2018). Consumption in the circular economy:
a literature review. Sustainability 10 (2758), 1–25

Corsini, F., Rizzi, F. & Frey, M. (2017). Extended producer responsibility: The impact of
organizational dimensions on WEEE collection from households. Waste Manag. 59, 23–29.

ITU (2021). Creating a circular economy for ICT equipment. Retrieved from:
https://www.itu.int/en/mediacentre/backgrounders/Pages/e-waste.aspx

Kilvert, N. (2021). E-waste surges in 2021 as world sends goldmine to landfill. ABC News.
Retrieved from: https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2021-10-14/e-waste-electronics-
landfill-gold-landfill-recycling/10052474

Science Daily (2021). Modeling a circular economy for electronic waste. Retrieved from:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/06/210621174120.htm

SDGS (2021). Goals 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. Retrieved
from: https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal12
UNSDG (2021). Common Minimum Standards for Multi-stakeholder Engagement in the
UNDAF. Retrieved from: https://unsdg.un.org/resources/common-minimum-standards-multi-
stakeholder-engagement-undaf

World Economic Forum (2018). Circular Economy in Cities Evolving the model for a
sustainable urban future. Retrieved from:
https://www3.weforum.org/docs/White_paper_Circular_Economy_in_Cities_report_2018.pd
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