Austrian electric and electronic wastes flows : Relevance of WEEE-scrap metal losses due to illegal flows of WEEE for Austria's steel industry

Abstract

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is one of the fastest-growing streams of waste. These waste flows contain hazardous as well as critical materials, which have the potential to negatively impact the environment, human health and socioeconomic development of a region. The goal is to gage the relevance of misplaced metal scrap of the WEEE category large appliances for Austria's steel industry. Using a material flow analysis (MFA), the potential impact on Austria's steel industry will be estimated. The aim is to show, if the amount of E-waste has a relevant or measurable effect (positive or negative) on Austria's economy, regarding the recovery/misplacement of valuable/critical materials (iron scrap) stemming from large electrical appliances in the steel industry. Further, a literature review will be given to portray the state of the art of research. Data used originates from the Elektroaltgeräte Koordinierungsstelle (EAK) and the Austria Ministry for Environment. A case study review portrays negative environmental impacts abroad, in order to highlight the importance of proper WEEE-management to the domestic society. The outcomes point toward a certain portion of WEEE of the category large electrical appliances entering illegal waste streams, however, the steel industry does not appear to be negatively affected by the current amount of missing metal scrap from WEEE of large appliances. Similarly, while the missing scrap could in theory require the steel industry to compensate with higher inputs of primary resources, which may potentially lead to an increase in the emission of GHG, a relevant increase in GHG emissions due to missing scrap cannot be verified. Nonetheless, the losses to the economy could continue to accumulate. There is a chance to decrease these losses utilizing and further developing public awareness, education regarding WEEE-recycling, and education of impact of illegal waste transfers in less developed countries, in order to further decrease the misplacement of WEEE scrap. To this end, awareness raising campaigns educating the domestic population about potential negative impacts abroad might be useful.