TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
ABSTRACT iv
ABSTRAK vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ix
APPROVAL x
DECLARATION xi
LIST OF TABLES xii
LIST OF FIGURES xiii
LIST OF SYMBOLS xiv
LIST OF APPENDICES xv

CHAPTER
1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background 1
1
1.2 Problem Statement
2
1.3 Objective 3
1.4 Research Scope 3
2 LITERATURE REVIEW 5
2.1 Electrical and Electronic Waste or e-waste 5
2.1.1 Definition of Electric and Electronic Products 5
2.1.2 Definition of E-waste 5
2.1.3 Facts and Figures about E-waste 6
2.2 Why are Used Electronics a Concern? 8
2.2.1 Represent a rapidly growing waste stream 8
2.2.2 Industry is shifting to new technological advances 9
2.2.3 Contain hazardous or toxic substances 10
2.2.4 Waste valuable resources 11
2.3 E-waste related impacts, components and substances 12
2.3.1 Research on E-waste related impacts 12
2.3.2 Toxic and hazardous components and substances in 16

i
 EEE
2.4 Legislation/Regulations and Guidelines related to E-waste 17
2.4.1 Malaysian Regulations and Guidelines – Department 17
of Environment
2.4.2 E-Waste Legislation Varies Among Asian Nations 20
2.4.2.1 Malaysia – No proper recycling 20
2.4.2.2 Thai RoHS – voluntary marking 21
2.4.2.3 China – introducing RoHS and WEEE but 21
slow progress
2.5 E-waste inventory project manual 21
2.5.1 Guidance Notes 22
2.5.2 Guidance Procedure 22
2.6 Penang Overview 25

3 METHODOLOGY 27
3.1 Overview 27
3.2 Study Subject 27
3.2.1 Target Respondents 27
3.2.2 Target Electrical and Electronic Equipment 28
3.2.2.1 Household 28
3.2.2.1 Offices 28
3.3 Geographic Distribution 28
3.4 Questionnaires 29
3.5 Data Collection Activities 30
3.5.1 Personal Interviews 30
3.5.2 Emailing and By Hand Questionnaire 30
3.5.3 Online Survey 31
3.6 Data Compilation and Analysis 32
3.7 Report Output 32

4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 33

4.1 Returned Questionnaires 33
4.1.1 Household Questionnaires 33
4.1.2 Business Entities and Institution Questionnaire 35

ii
 4.2 Electrical and Electronic Equipment in Households and 37
Businesses
4.2.1 Household 37
4.2.1.1 Socioeconomic and Ethnic for Household 37
4.2.1.2 EEE Amount for household 39
4.2.2 Business Entities and Institutions 40
4.2.2.1 Business scale 40
4.2.2.2 EEE Amount for Business Entities and 41
Institutions
4.3 E-waste management practices in Penang Island 43
4.3.1 Household 43
4.3.2 Business Entities and Institutions 46
4.4 Knowledge and awareness of Penang Island community on e- 47
waste

5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 49

5.1 Conclusions 49
5.2 Recommendations 50

REFERENCES 52
APPENDICES 54

Abstract of thesis presented to the Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra

Malaysia in fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of
Environmental Engineering

iii
 A SURVEY ON ELECTRIC AND ELECTRONIC WASTE AMOUNT,
AWARENESS AND MANAGEMENT IN PENANG ISLAND, MALAYSIA

By

JULIYA BINTI AYOB

December 2010

Chair: Prof. Dr. Azni bin Idris

Faculty: Faculty of Engineering

Electrical and electronic waste or e-waste is a definition used to described old, unused
and end of life electrical and electronic appliances such as computer, television set,
washing machine, etc., which is disposed by their first or original users. Electrical and
electronic equipments usage has increase every year due to technology and lifestyle
demand which result in increasing of e-waste generation. These equipments contained
toxic and hazardous substances such as Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, etc which harm to
environment and communities if not dispose in a proper way. Penang Island as one of
the largest industrial state in Malaysia is not in exception to face this issue. The areas
of the study are focused on the inventory, knowledge and awareness as well as
identify the e-waste management system used by household and business entities and
institutions in Penang Island. The results and analysis is done in graphs and tables to
clearly explain and represents the issues faced. This study is successful in disseminate
the real problems associated with e-waste within household and businesses which
result in addressing the factors and solution in order to increase the knowledge and
awareness of communities and develop an integrated e-waste management system in
Penang Island which currently very lack in emphasizing the effort to protect the
environment from hazardous waste.

iv
Abstrak tesis yang dikemukakan kepada Fakulti Kejuruteraan, Universiti Putra
Malaysia sebagai memenuhi keperluan untuk ijazah Sarjana Kejuruteraan
Alam Sekitar

v
 SOAL SELIDIK TENTANG JUMLAH, KESEDARAN DAN PENGURUSAN
BAHAN BUANGAN ELEKTRIK DAN ELEKTRONIK DI PULAU PINANG,
MALAYSIA

Oleh

JULIYA BINTI AYOB

Disember 2010

Pengerusi: Prof. Dr. Azni bin Idris

Fakulti: Fakulti Kejuruteraan

Bahan buangan elektrik and elektronik atau dikenali sebagai e-buangan adalah
definisi yang digunakan untuk menerangkan lama, tidak dipakai atau tamat riwayat
sesebuah barangan elektrik dan elektronik contohnya seperti komputer, set televisyen,
mesin basuh, dan sebagainya yang dibuang oleh pengguna pertama atau asal.
Penggunaan peralatan elektrik dan elektronik telah meningkat setiap tahun kesan
daripada permintaan teknologi dan gaya hidup seterusnya menyebabkan peningkatan
generasi e-buangan. Peralatan-peralatan ini mengandungi bahan berbahaya dan
beracun seperti plumbum, cadmium dan merkuri yang sangat berbahaya kepada alam
sekitar dan penduduk. Pulau Pinang sebagai salah satu dari negeri industri yang
terbesar di Malaysia tidak terkecuali menghadapi masalah ini. Kajian ini memfokus
kepada inventori, pengetahuan dan kesedaran dan juga mengenalpasti sistem
pengurusan e-buangan yang digunakan oleh isi rumah dan bisnes-bisnes serta
institusi-institusi in Pulau Pinang. Keputusan dan analisis diterjemah dalam bentuk
graf dan jadual untuk menjelaskan isu yang dihadapi. Kajian ini telah berjaya
mengenalpasti faktor-faktor dan jalan penyelesaian untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan
dan kesedaran masyarakat dan merangka satu sistem integrasi pengurusan e-buangan
di Pulau Pinang yang sedang ketinggalan dalam usaha memelihara alam sekitar dari
bahan buang berbahaya.

vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

vii
Firstly i would like to express highly appreciation to my supervisor, Professor Dr.
Azni Idris who gives me support and guidance during the study. I also would like to
thanks to all lecturers who are helping me a lot during this though time. To my
husband, i really thank you for everything, every support and always there for me. To
my kids, thanks for your understanding every time ummi have to attend classes. Last
but not least to my entire classmate, I really appreciate all your help.

This project report attached here to, entitled

viii
 A SURVEY ON ELECTRIC AND ELECTRONIC WASTE AMOUNT,
AWARENESS AND MANAGEMENT IN PENANG ISLAND, MALAYSIA

Prepared and submitted by Juliya Binti Ayob to the Faculty if Engineering,

Universiti Putra Malaysia as a partial fulfillment in attaining Degree of Master
of Engineering is hereby accepted.

…………………………………..
Professor Dr. Azni B. Idris
(Project Supervisor)
Date:

…………………………………..
Professor Dr. Fakhru’l-Razi Bin Ahmadun
(Programme Coordinator)
Date:

DECLARATION

ix
I declare that the thesis is my original work except for quotations and citations which
have been duly acknowledged. I also declare that it has not been previously, and not
concurrently, submitted for any other degree at Universiti Putra Malaysia or at any
other institution.

………………..………..
JULIYA BINTI AYOB

Date:

LIST OF TABLES

NO. TITLE PAGES

x
1. E-waste in 2007 9

2. National Generation, Recovery and Discards of Consumer 10

Electronics in the Municipal Waste Stream 2000

3. Material Constituents of Consumer Electronics in the 11

Municipal Waste Stream

4. Mostly Found Toxic and Hazardous Substances in E-Waste 16

5. E-waste codes according to Environmental Quality 17

(Scheduled Waste) Regulations 2005

6. Methodology for estimation of WEEE quantity 24

7. Penang: Estimated Population by District 26

8. Number of questionnaires in each district targeted for the 29

survey

9. Total Number of returned questionnaire – household 34

category

10. Total Number of returned questionnaire – business entities 35

category

LIST OF FIGURES

xi
NO. TITLE PAGES

1. Toxic substances contained in a central processing unit and

4
CRT Monitor

2.
Future projection for WEEE in Malaysia for Year 1981 to
7
2020

3.
Future Guidance Procedure for Carrying out WEEE/E- 23

Waste Inventory

4. 26
Estimated Population for Penang by Ethnic Group
5. 29

The geographical location of the selected districts in Penang

Island
6. 31

Online survey homepage 32

7.

8. Online survey database

35

Total Number of returned questionnaires – household

9. 36
category

Total Number of returned questionnaires – business entities

10.
and institutions category 38

11.
38
Percentage of Ethnic – Household
12. 39

Category of household income

xii
13. 40

Total amount of Electrical and Electronic Equipment –

Household
14.
41

Percentage of Scale/Size of Business Entities and Institutions

15.
42

16. Scale of Businesses and total amount of EEE 43

17. 44
Amount of Electrical and Electronic Equipment – Business
Entities and Institutions
18.
45
E-waste disposal practices for household

19.
Amounts of e-waste disposed of by the household 46

E-waste disposal practices for Business Entities and

Institutions

Amount of e-waste disposal of by Business Entities and

Institutions

xiii
 LIST OF SYMBOLS

DOE Department of Environmental Malaysia

VCR Video Cassette Recording
DVD Digital Video Disc
EEE Electronic and Electrical Equipment
IT Information Technology
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
WEEE/ E- Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment
waste
CRT Cathode Ray Tube
US / USA United States of America
PC Personal Computer
HDTV High Definition Television
TV Television
RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
TCLP Toxicity characteristic leaching procedure
PWB Printed Wiring Board
TC Toxicity characteristic
CPU Central Processing Unit
PBDE Polybrominated diphenyl ethers
PBB Polybrominated biphenyls
NRE Natural Resources and the Environment
SWR Scheduled Waste Regulations
UPM Universiti Putra Malaysia

xiv
 LIST OF APPENDIXES

NO. TITLE PAGES

A Criteria for determination of E-Waste

54
B Questionnaires for Business Entities and Institutions 58
65
C Questionnaires for Household

xv