Assessing Negative Externalities of E-Waste Exportation and Subsidy Implementation
Open Access
Author:
Cohen, Dan
Area of Honors:
Economics
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
James R. Tybout, Thesis Supervisor Russell Paul Chuderewicz, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
E-Waste China Externalities
Abstract:
In this paper, I will discuss the prominence of informal e-waste management and the historical unidirectional export flow of e-waste from developed to developing countries. Focusing on the exportation of e-waste from the United States to China, this paper considers health studies from Chinese communities near informal e-waste treatment centers and the Japanese LIME externality model to estimate a quantitative value of the negative externalities caused by e-waste exportation. Conjoint survey results are subsequently implemented to approximate consumer willingness to reduce e-waste related externalities. Then, cost data from formal U.S. e-waste processing centers will be used to assess the expected cost of eliminating e-waste exportation in favor of domestic processing. The willingness to reduce e-waste externalities will be compared with the cost of reducing such externalities to provide insight into the potential benefits of eliminating e-waste exportation.
