Trade of secondhand EEE from Japan to developing Asia — the need for policy development based on actor analysis

The trade in secondhand electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) is increasing in Asia, and growing environmental problems caused by improper recycling in developing countries have been reported. However, the current policy frameworks are not sufficient to assure safe and beneficial international reuse. In order to support the development of an appropriate policy response to assure reasonable reuse, this paper first tries to identify the major issues associated with international trade of secondhand EEE; then, it argues that, for further policy development, it is important to identify key actors in the international trade network for secondhand goods and to analyze their incentives.