A Gap Analysis in Selected Asian Countries, 3R Knowledge Hub ...

• Weak infrastructure of disposal facilities and
treatment technology and lack of expertise
and understanding of alternative treatment
choices and a comprehensive waste
management philosophy
• Poor monitoring of waste generation
• Low quality of incineration equipment
• Unsafe collecting (and discharging) of
developer/fixer
• Poor management in the centralized
treatment and disposal of infectious articles
To cope with healthcare waste in the future, it is
imperative to establish a comprehensive
management system. The current system has a
strong focus on the final disposal of the medical
waste only, neglecting avoidance and
utilization. Shanghai has already taken standard
management measures on hazardous waste.
However, its control on medical waste is just at
the beginning. Up to now, hospital waste is
either handled by each single hospital or
centralized and handled by the Public Health
Department or the Epidemic Prevention
Department.
E-WASTE
Electronic waste provides another example of
how China is being affected by global markets
for recycled materials. In the US alone more
than 40 million computers became obsolete in
2001, and as much as 80% of these were
exported, mostly to China, at about a 10th of the
price of recycling or disposal in the home
country. Even today, tons of e-waste is imported
in China. Currently, China is generating about
two million tons of e-waste which comes from
four main sources:
• Waste electronic products from households
• Waste electronic products from government
institutions and enterprises
• Defective electronic products from
manufacturers
• Imported electronic waste
The China Household Electrical Appliances
Association estimates that Chinese households
and companies throw out 15 million
refrigerators, 10 million air conditioners, 18
million washing machines and 35 million
computers every year. This data is based on an
8-to-10-year product lifespan. With e-waste still
being smuggled into the mainland, many
scientists estimate that the country will be
unable to cope with the amount of hazardous
waste generated, which results in severe
secondary pollution.
Findings
The city of Guiyu, in the southern province of
Guangdong, is the centre of an environmental
disaster that has got out of control. Here and in
several nearby townships; electronic waste,
mostly imported is broken up in small
workshops. It is a version of outsourcing that
saves high cost of disposing of electronic trash
and provides livelihood to many. In this part of
China, recycling e-waste is apparently not
subjected to any environmental, health, and
safety regulations.
In small workshops, yards and open
countrysides, poor workers handle hazardous
wastes resulting from affluent lifestyles. Armed
mostly with small hand tools, they take apart
old computers, monitors, printers, video and
DVD players, photocopying machines,
telephones, mobile phones and chargers, music
speakers, car batteries and microwave ovens.
Chinese law forbids the importation of
electronic waste and is a signatory to the Basel
Agreement. E-waste imports have been so
disorganized in China since 1996, but the
country, considering the latent benefits, has
turned a blind eye.
E-waste recycling – Guiyu town, Guandong
Province, South China.
Image source: Basel Action Network 2006
Chapter 3: Country Analysis
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