Life Cycle Assessment of Institutional E-Waste: A Multi-Year Carbon Emission Analysis and Environmental Impact Evaluation at an Engineering Institution in Karnataka, India

Abstract

The rapidly accelerating pace of technological adoption within higher educational institutions has generated significant volumes of electronic waste (e-waste), posing substantial environmental, human health, and policy challenges. This study presents a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of institutional e-waste generated over five academic years: 2018-19, 2019-20, 2021-22, 2024-25, and 2025-26 at an Engineering Institution, Mysuru, Karnataka, India. The assessment quantifies the carbon implications of two end-of-life disposal pathways: controlled recycling and landfill disposal, using category-specific greenhouse gas (GHG) emission factors derived from established WEEE benchmarks.
Over the study period, a cumulative mass of 11,870.5 kg of e-waste was generated and processed. Recycling-based disposal yielded net carbon savings of 8,374 kgCO₂e, while the landfill counterfactual scenario would have resulted in emissions of 109.2 kgCO₂e, yielding an overall net avoided emission of approximately 8,265 kgCO₂e. The peak carbon savings year was 2021-22 (2,843 kgCO₂e), driven by high-emission-factor electrical laboratory equipment. A critical methodological finding is the evolution of the landfill emission factor from 0.004 to 0.04 kgCO₂e/kg in 2025-26, reflecting improved accounting of leachate toxicity and decomposition-related emissions. The study also identifies a compositional shift in waste streams from IT hardware to infrastructure-level electrical components over the study period. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study represents the first comprehensive multi-year Life Cycle Assessment of institutional e-waste conducted at an engineering college in India. By analysing five academic years of primary institutional inventory data using category-specific emission factors, the study establishes a reproducible framework for campus-level carbon accounting and environmentally sustainable e-waste management. Findings establish a data-driven baseline for institutional e-waste carbon accounting and offer transferable recommendations for engineering institutions across India and similar developing economies.