Estimation of E-waste Generation, Residential Behavior, and Disposal Practices from Major Governorates in Jordan

Environ Manage. 2020 Nov;66(5):884-898. doi: 10.1007/s00267-020-01341-1. Epub 2020 Jul 26.

Abstract

Estimating the generation of e-waste in governorates is critically needed for sustainable and environmentally sound e-waste management in Jordan. The main objectives of the present study are to quantify and evaluate the annual e-waste generation in all governorates in Jordan and disposal practices. The present study comprises the information of e-waste as classified by the European Union Directive including six main categories (16 United Nations University key items). The survey targeted 15,883 households (12.52% females and 87.48% males), where primary data on e-waste generation and disposal methods were gathered, assessed, and quantified. Subsequently, the survey-based data collected from the study sample have been extrapolated to quantify an e-waste generation inventory for Jordan and the disposal methods using ArcGIS mapping. The study-extrapolated findings reveal that ~8,735,187 e-waste items (13 ktons) had been turned into e-waste and discarded by all households in 2018 in the 12 governorates in Jordan. Moreover, dumping of e-waste is still the dominant disposal method practiced by 58.4% of households in Jordan. The other disposal practices showed that granting of the waste EEE to others has the share of 16.6%; selling (10.7%); delivering the waste EEE for environmentally sound recycling (6.8%); and others practices represented 7.4%. Furthermore, the present study has played a vital role in e-waste awareness dissemination since the findings of the present study have been modeled and shown online by the Department of Statistics, Jordan through the link ( https://arcg.is/1KzvjO ). Finally, the challenges, barriers, and prospects of e-waste management in Jordan have been explored in the present study.

Keywords: Discarded electrical and electronic waste; Disposal behavior; E-waste; Jordan; WEEE; Waste.

MeSH terms

  • Electronic Waste* / analysis
  • Family Characteristics
  • Humans
  • Jordan
  • Recycling
  • Refuse Disposal*
  • Waste Management*