Modeling computer recycling in Taiwan using system dynamics

Environmental pollution becomes aggravated as human beings enjoy high-tech products without being fully aware of the consequences of excessive resource consumption. In the literature, few studies focus on people's recycling behavior. How to characterize recycling behavior appropriately poses a critical challenge in the study of electronic waste recycling. This paper develops a computer recycling model using system dynamics to predict electronic waste in Taiwan. The model is constructed and validated for “real” recycling data from the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration. The constructed model is well qualified for the computer recycling data with only 2 percent forecast error. The three decision variables of holding duration, recycling refund and innovative technology were tested through dynamic hypotheses and found significant to be included in the proposed system dynamics model. A moving average forecast method is employed to predict future recycling quantities. The research outcomes can help the Government gain an understanding of the recycling behavior of electronic waste. Therefore, practical and feasible policies can be proposed to improve electronic waste recycling.