Responsible disposal of e-waste should be a business priority

This article was first published in Net Zero Professional

PA Consulting's Beth Murphy, waste and circular economy expert, discusses responsible disposal of e-waste with Michael Nelson in Net Zero Professional.

Commenting on this, Beth says: "Much can be learned from existing recycling processes of plastic and cardboard. Collectively, brands, manufacturers, and policymakers could collaborate to create an implementable blueprint for e-waste recycling."

Adding: “To incentivise recycling of e-waste, new technology and methods must be introduced to make it easier and thus more appealing for both consumers and tech manufacturers. But even before those kinds of technologies are implemented, local infrastructure needs to be improved to help consumers easily recycle electronic goods as opposed to hoarding or unsafely discarding them. Financially incentivising recycling facilities to collect unused electric devices could potentially address this problem.”

Beth concludes: "Recycling is the last loop of the circular economy and is one part of a solution since it does not fully undo the harm of manufacturing in the first place. Designers must figure out how to create products that are both beautiful and long-lasting."