Title: Cost-profit analysis of multilateral recycling system in Asia

Authors: Shinsuke Kondoh, Masayuki Kuwatani, Jun Fujimoto, Yasushi Umeda

Addresses: Environmentally Conscious Design and Manufacturing Group, Advanced Manufacturing Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), AIST Tsukuba East, 1 2 1, Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305 8564, Japan. ' Central Japan Railway Company, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0005, Japan. ' Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4 6 1 Komaba, Muguro-ku, Tokyo 153 8904, Japan. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2 1, Yamada-Oka, Suita, Osaka, 565 0871, Japan

Abstract: The objective of this study is to clarify quantitatively the driving force of multilateral recycling system in Asia, especially focusing on economic factors. To this end, we proposed a cost-profit analysis model for multilateral recycling system considering the differentials of economic factors between developed and developing countries at first. Based on this model, we conducted cost-profit analysis of multilateral recycling of four electronic products, namely, refrigerator, television, air conditioner and personal computer, to identify dominant economic drivers of multilateral recycling system in Asia. The result of analysis showed that high profitability and recycling ratio can be achieved by multilateral recycling system in spite of its extra transportation cost, mainly due to low labour cost in developing countries.

Keywords: Asia; cost-profit analysis; environmental load; home appliance; multilateral recycling systems; personal computers; product reuse; electronic products; refrigerators; televisions; TVs; air conditioners; labour costs; developing countries.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETM.2009.027610

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 2009 Vol.11 No.4, pp.257 - 275

Published online: 03 Aug 2009 *

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