Waste electrical and electronic equipment flows in Ukraine

Abstract

This paper estimates the weight of electrical and electronic equipment on the Ukrainian market (more than 800 thousand t/year). According to official statistics, weight of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) in Ukraine is ∼20 thousand t/year. This study has showed a significant discrepancy between the expected weight of WEEE and official statistics. More than 95% of WEEE is not taken into account in waste flows. Taking into account the lifespan of various equipment and weight of equipment placed on the Ukrainian market in previous years, WEEE generation is estimated at more than 1 Mt/year. The share of household WEEE is estimated at 200 thousand t/year (5 kg/year per inhabitant), which is slightly lower than that in other eastern European countries. Computers and electronics hold almost half of household WEEE. WEEE collection rate varies from 0.6% (household devices) to 10.4% (batteries), depending on the waste category. This is much lower than that in the EU. Based on the findings from this paper, one can conclude that the lack of WEEE accounting in the household and commercial sectors of Ukraine creates a significant underestimation of WEEE flows in official data.