While significant focus has been placed on the environmental and health impacts of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) treatment, a gap exists with respect to job creation in WEEE treatment. The creation of employment opportunities, and especially of decent work, is an important factor in the growing green and circular economies. This research investigates potential job creation in the Irish WEEE pre-treatment sector by examining the labour requirements at a certified e-recycling facility which conducts all necessary pre-treatment processes, as detailed in the WEEE Directive, and is currently treating 75% of Ireland's WEEE. The study developed and executed a method of estimating the mass of WEEE associated with full-time job equivalencies per category treated. Through observation and measurement of the methods and time required for each of the pre-treatment steps and using categorisations of WEEE established by United Nations University to assign weights per unit, it was determined that between 338 and 1,967 tonnes were required to equate with one full-time job for the categories large household appliances (LHA), CRT/LCD/LED screens, microwave ovens, and mixed waste. Subsequently, the results were applied in order to estimate the foregone jobs due to untreated WEEE arising in scrap metal collections. It was found that diversion of this waste to a WEEE pre-treatment facility would result in the creation of more than 12 jobs. This research opens doors to further investigate job creation across European Union (EU) member states and globally using the straightforward and consistently applicable and adaptable methods developed here.

尽管已将重点放在废弃电气电子设备（WEEE）处理对环境和健康的影响上，但在WEEE处理中创造就业机会方面仍存在差距。创造就业机会，特别是体面劳动的机会，是不断发展的绿色和循环经济的重要因素。这项研究通过检查经认证的电子回收设施（执行WEEE指令中详述的所有必要的预处理流程）中的劳动力需求，调查了爱尔兰WEEE预处理部门的潜在就业机会，目前该处理方法已处理了爱尔兰75％的WEEE。该研究开发并执行了一种估计与处理的每个类别的全职工作当量相关的WEEE数量的方法。通过观察和测量每个预处理步骤所需的方法和时间，并使用联合国大学建立的WEEE类别对单位重量进行分配，确定需要在338到1,967吨之间等于一整大型家用电器（LHA），CRT / LCD / LED屏幕，微波炉和混合废料的打折工作。随后，使用结果来估计由于废金属收集产生的未处理WEEE而导致的已放弃工作。结果发现，将这些废物转移到WEEE预处理设施将创造12个以上的工作岗位。