COST EFFECTIVENESS OF AN ELECTRONIC WASTE RECYCLING PROGRAM FOR HARNETT COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

Abstract

Widespread use of electronics in business and residential settings has created a problem of electronic waste disposal, when the electronics are discarded at the end of their useful life. Recognized as hazardous waste for the heavy metals contained in them, electronic discards are managed as such only if generated by businesses. In the absence of federal regulations for household electronic waste in the United States and state regulations in North Carolina, the electronic waste problem could be addressed at the county level. One of the options a policy-maker faces is to establish an e-waste collection and recycling program at the local landfill, thus offering residents the means to recycle their e-waste. In this master’s project I estimate the costs of establishing an e-waste recycling program in Harnett County, North Carolina. The results allow a policy maker to compare the costs of a local electronic waste recycling program to the costs of current recycling programs offered by major electronics producers, or the benefits from diverting electronic waste from local landfills. The information on costs of the program also provides estimates of the amount of funds that the county would need to run the program, or the amount of tax or purchase fee that could be imposed to provide funds for the program