Project description
E-waste management
Your old phone, damaged laptop and other discarded electrical equipment and parts are piling up fast. By 2021, more than 52 million metric tonnes of this e-waste will be generated worldwide. Too little is being recycled. Data shows that only 20 % of e-waste is documented to have been collected and recycled. The EU-funded E-Waste Challenge project will research e-waste management in low- and mid-income countries. The project will focus on India and South Africa – two countries where e-waste policies have not been analysed before. The results will provide insight and solutions for both EU and non-European policymakers.
Objective
Electronic waste (E-waste) or waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world today. It is a complex stream of waste as it contains both hazardous chemicals and valuable/precious metal components. A major challenge for the research community, therefore, is to find effective (policy) solutions for addressing the environmental and health problems caused by E-waste management in low and mid-income countries while, at the same time, enhancing the recovery of precious metals to reuse these resources. During my Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship, I will analyse why emerging economies adopt E-waste policies that seem inadequate and ineffective in their local contexts and identify alternative approaches. In a first step, I will develop a novel analytical framework to analyse the effectiveness of E-waste policies in emerging economies and, as a second step, I will seek to explain the degree of effectiveness of E-waste policies in India and South Africa. The research aims to make conceptual, empirical and policy-relevant contributions: I strive to contribute to the academic literature by developing a novel analytical framework that helps evaluate E-waste policies in non-Western countries. Current literature on E-waste is largely based on assumptions derived from Western policies, polities and societies. By analysing the cases of India and South Africa, my research will focus on two countries whose E-waste policy has hardly been analysed. The findings of the project will provide insights that both the EU and non-European policymakers can use in their decision- making. The EU has a keen interest in supporting non-EU countries tackle their E-waste challenges through effective policies, especially since parts of the E-waste that causes problems in those countries originates from the EU and is a direct result of European consumption. I will contribute to the understanding of how such EU support could be designed.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2018
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
3000 LEUVEN
Belgium
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.