Global – ‘E-waste represents one of the fastest-growing sectors by volume within the global waste industry,’ states a new report by US research and analysis firm Frost & Sullivan (F&S). Previously estimated to reach US$ 1.4 billion by 2017, the worth of this ‘very promising’ global market is now expected to have overtaken US$ 1.87 billion per annum in five years from now.
However, F & S points to several factors which might seriously deflect e-waste from its upward trajectory – for example, significant problems in implementing legislation in key countries such as the UK owing to the difficulty in assigning ‘producer responsibility’.
Exports of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) to Asia might pose another threat to the market’s potential due to lower standards and less demanding waste management regulations. The US analyst reasons: ‘Since standards for implementation vary globally, it is as yet relatively easy to move e-waste volumes from developed markets in the West to China and India where transboundary migration is a significant fact.’
The new F & S report, entitled ‘Opportunities in the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Recycling Services Market’, is part of the Environment Markets Growth Partnership Service programme.
For more information, visit: www.frost.com
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