Διερεύνηση παραγόντων που επηρεάζουν την αειφορική διαχείριση αποβλήτων ηλεκτρικού και ηλεκτρονικού εξοπλισμού [article]

Αικατερίνη Κ. Παπαοικονόμου, University Of Thessaly, University Of Thessaly, Αθανάσιος Κούγκολος
2016
SUMMURY Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) management is a complicated issue. The European Union (EU), with the enforcement of the directives 2002/95/EC and 2002/96/EC, is promoting the principles of sustainable management for the WEEE. Sustainable WEEE management should be environmentally sound, economically viable and socially accepted. Regarding WEEE management, two issues are not adequately researched and developed, especially in Greece. The first issue concerned the
more » ... gation of the factors that influence WEEE recycling behavior. Considering that WEEE recycling is, so far, the most appropriate WEEE management technique and that European directives have already set specific goals about WEEE recycling rates, people's consent and participation is a key issue for meeting these goals. The research was conducted in the urban complex of Volos -Nea Ionia. The purpose of the study was to determine the "intention" of the citizens of Volos to do WEEE recycling and furthermore, the purpose was to investigate the key factors of this "intention". The results indicated that statistically significant factors of WEEE recycling intention were: "attitude", "social norms", "willingness to pay" and "information". The findings suggest that strengthening of people's positive attitude towards WEEE recycling in combination with better information and with placing more containers through Volos will encourage citizens of the city to recycle WEEE more. Moreover, external conditions, such as financial depression, had a significant impact on the way people think about WEEE recycling. The second issue concerned the environmental burden that arises from the disassembly of electrical and electronic equipment, regarding PM 10 emissions. Although, recycling is the most appropriate technique for WEEE sustainable management, it has consequences to the interior of the disassembly installations and to the environment around the installations. The implemented research regarding this matter, in the EU and other countries, is, in most of the cases, scarce and fragmentary. The current research was conducted in a WEEE disassembly center in Larissa, Greece. The purpose of the study was the actual measurement of PM 10 emissions, in order to specify the environmental burden in the atmosphere that occurs in such installations. The results of the measurement of PM 10 emissions indicated that the WEEE disassembly emitted PM 10 in a relatively high level, even though the disassembly occurred in an environmentally sound manner. The concentration of PM 10 was higher from the EU limit of 50 μg/m 3 and higher from the limits other organizations have set, for PM 10 concentrations in the atmosphere. The PM 10 chemical analysis indicated that WEEE were the most important source of PM 10 emissions inside the disassembly center.
doi:10.26253/heal.uth.1573 fatcat:abgosvfamjbf3axn3qyvfsp3oi