The widespread production and use of electronic and electrical equipment, the increasing contamination of the environment, and the persistence and bioaccumulation of these heavy metals warrant special consideration of e-waste as an emerging health risk for many populations.
The Chinese government plays a central role in the planning, administration and monitoring of the e-waste recycling system in China. Other actors, including universities and research institutions, individual enterprises, industry associations, NGOs and foreign governments and agencies also play important roles. Effective environmental regulations in e-waste management are needed to prevent excessive exposure to toxicants from e-waste. Improvements in the e-waste management system can thus be achieved through a combination of legislative development and implementation evaluation, technology transfer and innovation, research, knowledge exchange and international cooperation. Both developed and developing countries share joint responsibility in regulating electronic device manufacturing and e-waste transboundary movement. In countries where primitive e-waste recycling processes exist, human health, especially the health of children, needs to drive the regulation and management of recycling activities.