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J. Janke:
"Reduction of hazardous flows of electrical and electronic equipment through induced technological change";
Supervisor: M. Zagler; Institut für Makroökonomie (Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien), 2013.

Electrical and electronic products enrich the cultural and social life and deliver essential intermediary goods in modern economies. With regard to an effective transformation of the economy towards a more sustainable one, electrical and electronic products play a crucial role. However, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is the fastest growing waste flow within the European Union and raises serious problems due to the high amount of illegally treated WEEE and its hazardous components.

The objective of this study is to depict regulatory instruments that induce technological progress to reduce hazardous and avoidable waste flows generated by electrical and electronic products. An interdisciplinary approach aims to integrate the knowledge and analytical tools of other sciences to assess economically but also environmentally meaningful solution paths.

First, a material analysis gives an overview of the important components of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and their environmental weight. A life cycle perspective permits to discuss different recovery options and possible trends to reduce the environmental burden of EEE. Moreover, the analysis assesses regulatory instruments that trigger technological progress and allow the reduction of harmful flows into the environment. In addition, a model of the electrical and electronic industry gives an insight into the dynamics of the technological progress and the waste development of a profit maximizing industry.

The results of the profit maximization and the external sustainability criterion indicate a necessary level of an environmental tax on harmful waste. Interestingly, positive growth is only possible in the case of increasing returns to scale or a decreasing price of inputs. Accordingly, the qualitative analysis establishes the need for further regulatory intervention. Combined regulatory instruments such as environmental labelling and an environmental management system would induce technological progress and improve environmental performance.

Induced technological change electrical and electronic equipment waste reduction

http://publik.tuwien.ac.at/files/PubDat_247340.pdf