From Electronic Waste to Ecological Restoration: The Study on the Unequal Treatment Model and Landscape Intervention Method of Electronic Waste From a Global Perspective

Abstract

The rapid development of electronic technology has resulted in the annual phase-out of a large amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment, known as "e-waste, " especially in developed countries. In the context of economic globalization, the lack of relevant environmental laws and policies in developing countries and less developed countries, as well as cheap labor, has attracted developed countries to export a large amount of domestic e-waste to these countries. The chemicals produced during the low-tech dismantling process enter the air, soil, and deep groundwater, contaminating drinking water and food, and eventually entering the human body. Due to the inequality of economic and political development, the countries and regions that generate the least e-waste suffer the most. The most affected areas include, but are not limited to, China, India, and Ghana. This paper studies the production, distribution, and movement of e-waste, and its unequal distribution and disposal patterns of e-waste on a global scale. It also analyzes the national and international recycling policies and investigates the consequences of informal dismantling practices on the economy, society, and environment. The conclusion of the paper focuses on Guiyu, China as an example to draw landscape intervention strategies from key landscape issues, specifically for farmland, rivers and urban areas. These strategies are divided into three distinct stages of recovery and development. From the perspective of landscape intervention, this paper attempts to provide research and intervention suggestions for the restoration of ecology, health, and livelihood in global e-waste polluted areas.

● The global e-waste flow pattern is analyzed under the background of economic globalization and unequal environment distribution

● Proposed phased implementation plans for different conditions of ecology, food, community, and income for e-waste polluted sites

● The intervention measures of e-waste pollution are put forward from the perspective of landscape architecture

Graphical abstract

Keywords

E-waste / Ecological Health Crisis / Ecological Restoration / Environmental Justice / Landscape Intervention

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Acknowledgements

Seed Fund for Basic Research, University Research Committee, The University of Hong Kong, China (No. 104006587)

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