The sale of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) is growing worldwide due to technological innovations and the speed with which they become obsolete, which increases the production of a solid residue called Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), or e-Waste. WEEE is a relevant problem, as it contains several toxic substances capable of harming the environment and human health. This is why a proper environmental management is required.
After the creation of the National Policy on Solid Waste (PNRS) in Brazil - Law No. 12.305, of August 2, 2010, manufacturers, importers, distributors, and traders have become responsible for implementing Reverse Logistics (RL) systems, which aim at the return of products after use by the consumer. Although the electronics industry is concerned about the RL of its products, RL of WEEE is not a subject widely addressed within Brazil or internationally. In fact, "e-waste" is a new subject in the world literature.
This book aims to identify how WEEE management can contribute to the improvement of the EEE supply chain performance in Brazil, at an environmental sustainability point of view. Therefore, we identify: The global and Brazilian background, overview, and perspectives to improving solid waste and WEEE management at an environmental sustainability point of view; Brazilian legislation and practices; international legislation and good practices in WEEE management, which suggest improvements to the WEEE management in Brazil; and good practices in using product identification technologies, such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in e-waste reverse logistics systems, such as the renowned Hewlett-Packard (HP) Smartwaste Project.