Economic analysis of waste electrical and electronic equipment management: a study involving recycling cooperatives in Brazil

An opportunity to reduce the costs of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) collection operation is to include WEEE in the already existing selective collection flows (inflows that present idleness). In this context, this paper aims to ascertain whether it is attractive for recycling cooperatives in a determined Brazilian municipality to include a selective collection of WEEE in their operating systems. This research uses a method structured in eight steps, involving WEEE generation, waste treatment, transport and distribution processes, besides the economic analysis steps. We conclude that WEEE inclusion is economically attractive when recycling cooperative receives support from scrap dealers and the government. Two points can be highlighted as barriers to the referred cooperatives operation: the distance between cooperatives and the recycling industry is generally long; and large generators and recycling industries do not establish agreements directly with cooperatives (because these cooperatives do not offer large volumes). This study shows that recycling factories are far from the municipality and estimates that the amount of recyclable materials collected by each cooperative is low. Thus, we suggest as public policies to establish incentives for recycling factories to settle in the municipality and to encourage the formation of cooperative associations. These cooperatives can jointly sell recyclable materials to become medium-sized suppliers. This study also estimates the amount of WEEE generated in the municipality. This estimate was important for the study because there is a lack of studies that estimate WEEE generation at the municipal level mainly in developing countries.