California Greening Electronic Products: A Look at Consumption and Production

Featuring Jean-Daniel Saphores, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, UC Irvine

Location:  Engineering Hall 2430 Colloquia Room
Free and open to the public

Abstract:
The fate of used electronic products (e-waste) is of increasing concern because of the growing volume of e-waste and its toxicity.  In the U.S. alone, the EPA estimates that approximately 2 million tons are sent to landfills and incinerators each year.  Both the pressure to limit e-waste exports to developing countries and public concerns about e-waste toxicity are goading policy makers and recyclers to develop the recycling infrastructure.  An alternative to implementing more comprehensive recycling strategies is to make electronics more environmentally friendly.

This seminar discusses on-going research that focuses on both consumption and production to make electronics more environmentally friendly. First, we will cover how much e-waste people have in storage, people’s willingness to recycle e-waste, and the importance of information. We will then talk about people’s willingness to pay for green electronics before presenting a methodology for designing more environmentally friendly alternatives using mathematical programming methods.