Management of electronic waste in the commercial center of Paragominas, Pará

Abstract

With the population growth and technological advances, the production of several electro-electronic equipment (WEEE's) has grown in an unrestrained way and contributes to the unrestrained increase of the so-called "electronic waste". The objective of this research was to analyze the production and final disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE's) in the municipal market of Paragominas - PA. The research method is inductive, since it is based on the observation of facts or phenomena whose causes one wishes to know. As for the nature of the research, it was qualitative and quantitative. From the very first moment, a literary survey was made. In the second, a form was applied (with nine objective questions and one subjective) and weighing of waste generated by each of the 22 stores that provide technical assistance for mobile phones, computers, DVDs, printers, notebooks, routers, tablets and TVs, existing in the shopping center of Paragominas. For a better analysis of the data obtained, they were allocated to two groups (G1 = 12; G2 = 10) and allocated in spreadsheets contained in the Excel software (2013) and then the Descriptive Statistics (absolute frequency, fi; relative frequency, fr%) were applied. The data obtained indicated that G1 (n = 12: 54.54%); G2 (n = 10; 45.45%), produce 1,997.42 kg with an average equivalent to 166.46 kg; 72, 72% of the participating stores believe that segregation is important, therefore the practice. However, the data obtained indicated that most of them (n = 12; 54.5%), dispose of WEEE's next to the common solid waste, and this corroborates with the data obtained regarding the knowledge of PNRS and Reverse Logistics (n = 10; 45.4%). Therefore, it is necessary that there is an offer by the local trade administration agencies of training courses for stores providing technical assistance in electronics.