Abstract

In recent years, the advent of new electronicdevices has spurred an increasing amount of e-waste, which isone of the fastest-growing municipal waste streams. However,research on e-waste in Vietnam is limited, especially in thesouthern provinces. The study was conducted to assess thecurrent generation and volume of e-waste in Soc Trang city, SocTrang province, Vietnam. The data were collected byinterviewing 200 households. The results recorded 36 types ofelectronic devices that were classified into seven groups:lighting devices (2,021 pcs), heat exchangers (1,236 pcs),entertainment devices (1,221 pcs), large-sized devices (857 pcs),small-sized devices (851 pcs), office equipment (275 pcs) andmedical equipment (73 pcs). The dominant devices were LEDlights (1,185 pcs), smartphones (704 pcs), and electric fans (637pcs). The average lifespan of relatively high-end appliancesranges from 3.8 to 18 years. The amount of e-waste generated inthe study area was estimated at 1,065,382 pcs. The averagevolume was approximately 1,757 tons/year, with a generationrate of about 12.8 kg/person/year. Most of these devices arecollected, sorted and sold by the households. It is recommendedthat effective e-waste management measures should beappropriately implemented to prevent adverse environmentaland health impacts.