Ethics and E-Waste Management: A Comprehensive Literature Review

This literature review examines scholarly articles on the ethical considerations of e-waste management, focusing on the roles and responsibilities of producers, the impact of policies and regulations, and obligations related to sustainable e-waste handling. It highlights the importance of integra...Read More

Running head: ETHICS AND E-WASTE MANAGEMENT
ETHICS AND E-WASTE MANAGEMENT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
Ethical consideration is one of the major factors that is associated with the
organization and it important for the organization to integrate such values for implementing
their responsibilities that are associated with the organization. The study is regarding the
review of the scholarly articles that provides insights on the ethical consideration of the
organization reflecting on the aspects of e-wastes and their management.
Discussion
Role of Producers
There are difficulties associated with the implementation of the various aspects that
are related to the implementation of ethical consideration among the organizations. E-waste is
one of the most significant problems in recent years and it is important to assess the aspects
that are related to the development of the factors contributing to global sustainability.
According to Kojima, Yoshida and Sasaki (2009), e-waste is one of the most noteworthy
problems in China and Thailand. It also states about the importance to address the issues that
are related to the development of the culture responsible for a better super vision of the e-
waste. The authors have stated about the difficulties such as funding and governance.
However, according to a study it has been observed there are significant measures that have
been taken by the different organizations to encourage or rescue other organization in order to
better management of the e-waste. According to the study it has been observed that there are
organizations who are involved in the process of integrating significant changes that will be
required to perform the recycling of the e-waste (Tanskanen, 2012). According to the study
by Khetriwal, Kracuchi and Widmer (2007), producers do have a responsibility towards that
development of the aspects that will be liable for the improved management of the e-waste.
However, the studies also reveal that there is a significant impact on the attributes of the

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customers if the values that are related to the sustainability and e-waste management is being
transferred to the customer in a better manner (Mane & Niranjan, 2014). This is one of the
major factors that will be responsible for considering the ethical values in the production of
electronic devices.
Policies and Regulation in E-waste Management
Policies are one of the major factors that will be liable for the developing the key area
that will be impacting the society and it is one of the major factors that will be liable for their
contribution to the encouragement of the culture of e-waste recycling. Pariatamby and Victor
(2012) have stated in their study about the importance of the policies that will be helpful for
the development of the factors that are associated with the culture impacting the management
of the e-waste. E-waste management is one of the most vital factors that contributes to
sustainability. Thus, it becomes important to regulate the approaches of the organization who
are added in the various activities that are required. There has to be an implementation of the
regulation that is related to the development of the new products and e-waste related to them.
According to the authors, regulations are one of the major factors that will be liable for
emerging the key areas responsible for e-waste management (Plambeck & Wang, 2009). The
authors have stated that this is one of the most important steps towards minimizing the
detrimental effects on e-waste. From the studies, it can be found that there is significant
importance of the regulations of the implemented policies that will be liable for monitoring
the changes.
Obligations Related to E-waste Management
The studies also reveal the potential ways of managing the e-waste that will be helpful
for the society. The authors have stated about the potential solutions such as managing the e-
waste and utilize them for the conversion of the waste to the energy. This is one of the major
aspects that will be responsible for the expansion of the culture that will be responsible for

3ETHICS AND E-WASTE MANAGEMENT
incorporating the practices that will be leading to the sustainability (Masud et al., 2019). Both
developing and developed countries need to include the facilities that will be responsible for
e-waste management. According to the authors, it is one of the most important aspects that
will be liable for the contribution of the practices and initiatives towards encouraging e-waste
management (Sthiannopkao & Wong, 2012). It was also mentioned that general refuse and
burning of the e-waste is highly harmful to the biotic components of nature. Thus, the
company not only need to take the initiative to incorporate better management but needs to
integrate the ethical values that will be responsible for better e-waste. There has to be a
unification of the ethical values that can contribute to the development of the factors that will
be responsible for encouraging sustainability. The studies state the solutions that will be
responsible for the integration of the ethical values that will be liable for encouraging
sustainability (Mascarenhas, D’Souza, George, 2016). The study has also emphasized the
importance of morality among the producers for the incorporation of sustainability in the
organization by adopting the changes that are related to managing the electronic wastes.
Conclusion
Ethical consideration is one of the important factors that can contribute to the
improvement of society that will be responsible for incorporating the changes. Changes are
one of the important factors that need to be integrated for the better management of the e-
waste. The studies have stated the importance of including the changes that will be liable for
enhanced and efficient e-waste management. The studies project the important ethical
considerations that need to be incorporated in order to cultivate the culture for the effective
approach of adopting the changes related to e-waste management. However, the review of the
literatures have projected a potential gap that is role of the customer in e-waste management.
The customers who are buying electronic gadgets it is also important for them to get engaged

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with the activities that are related to the better e-waste management. This is one of the core
area that has emerged as one of the gap in the research.

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References
AC Sr, D. D. S. (2016). Ethics of E-waste Management: An Input–Process–Output Analytic
Approach. Management and Labour Studies, 41(1), 1-18. DOI:
10.1177/0258042X16649467
Khetriwal, D. S., Kraeuchi, P., & Widmer, R. (2009). Producer responsibility for e-waste
management: key issues for consideration–learning from the Swiss
experience. Journal of environmental management, 90(1), 153-165.
Kojima, M., Yoshida, A., & Sasaki, S. (2009). Difficulties in applying extended producer
responsibility policies in developing countries: case studies in e-waste recycling in
China and Thailand. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 11(3), 263-
269. DOI 10.1007/s10163-009-0240-x
Mane, P., & Niranjan, T. T. (2014). Sustainable Value Creation through E-waste
Management: The Role of Marketing–Retailers–Operations Interface. Global
Business Review, 15(4_suppl), 13S-23S. DOI: 10.1177/0972150914550522
Masud, M. H., Akram, W., Ahmed, A., Ananno, A. A., Mourshed, M., Hasan, M., &
Joardder, M. U. H. (2019). Towards the effective E-waste management in
Bangladesh: A review. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 1-27.
Pariatamby, A., & Victor, D. (2013). Policy trends of e-waste management in Asia. Journal
of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 15(4), 411-419. DOI 10.1007/s10163-
013-0136-7
Plambeck, E., & Wang, Q. (2009). Effects of e-waste regulation on new product
introduction. Management Science, 55(3), 333-347.
Sthiannopkao, S., & Wong, M. H. (2013). Handling e-waste in developed and developing
countries: Initiatives, practices, and consequences. Science of the Total
Environment, 463, 1147-1153.

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Tanskanen, P. (2013). Management and recycling of electronic waste. Acta materialia, 61(3),
1001-1011.