Reverse Logistics of Electronic Waste in Brazil and in The World:

The Challenge of Dismantling the Actors

Abstract

In order to review the literature about the national and international practices of the reverse
logistics of electronics, so they can become lessons and contributions to the Brazilian scene, the
authors of this article analyse the realities of Switzerland, a pioneer country in waste electrical
and electronic equipment management (WEEE), The article also examines four other major generators
of electronic waste: the United States of America, China, India and Brazil. Results point
to a lack of articulation of actors in the reverse chain of WEEE in almost all the studied countries,
while it identifies some explicit collaborative trials and the importance of adopting new partnerships
that facilitate logistics. Successful WEEE reverse logistics depend on the State compliance
at all levels of the Brazilian Federation, the involvement of the business sector, and partnerships
with public research institutions and civil society organizations. Only this articulation will make
reverse logistics of WEEE become a reality, capable of generating closed-loop production and
electronics disposal mechanisms.