Smart Regulation and Enforcement of Illegal Disposal of Electronic Waste

This policy essay discusses the potential of smart regulation on the basis of supply-chain regulation by the European Union (EU), and in particular the regulatory enforcement policy of e-waste in the Netherlands. In this policy essay, we first describe this approach as an example of smart regulation, by analyzing (1) how the supply-chain approach aims to prevent illegal export, (2) what effects can be expected of self-regulation and third-party regulation (3) how public enforcement is organized. We then broaden our analysis from the e-waste supply chain to the more general issue of the life-cycle of metals in electronics, to demonstrate that a solution to the problem of e-waste may be not in further criminalizing e-waste, but in better regulation of the recycling market.