What is e-waste
E-waste or electronic waste refers to old electrical and electronic equipment that have reached
the end of their life.
It is a global rising problem in both developing and developed countries.
E-waste is a broad and growing range of electronic devices ranges from large household
equipment (refrigerators, air conditions, cell phones, personal stereos) and institutional
electronics like computers that have been discarded.
In India, there are less collection centers for e-waste, and no clear data about the quantity of ewaste disposed of every year and caused environmental risk.
Statistics
According to statistics we are generating more than 40 million tons of e-waste a year and only
27% of this is recycled.
Total e-waste production of India is 146 kilotons.
Annual increment of 13 to 15 percent.
After US, Europe, Japan, China, INDIA is in 5th position in the generation of e-waste.
Effects on environment
Pollution of ground water: Landfilling of burnt CRT e-waste releases lead that eventually
drained into ground water and created water pollution problems
to flora and fauna. Cadmium present in one mobile phone battery
can pollute 600 m3 of water.
Acidification of soil: E-waste contains numerous toxins, which if not disposed in an appropriate
manner
can cause environmental pollution and health hazards.
Air pollution: The process of recycling means burning wires to recover metals, melting circuits
and acid stripping. Just this causes so many problems to the environment such as air pollution.
Wastage of non-renewable and precious metals: Apart from toxins e-waste also contains
resources like metals and rare earths which can be recovered and reused. Proper recycling of ewaste
can help ensure that these resources are extracted from e-waste while the toxins are disposed
responsibly.
Climate change: Every device ever produced has a carbon footprint and is contributing to
human-made global warming.
Effects on human
Damage to central nervous system: Lead like chemicals in batteries cause damage to nervous
system, blood system, kidneys and liver.
Immune system damage: Burning produces dioxin chemical which interferes with regulatory
hormones and can cause severe health problems
Reproductive and development problems in children: Chemicals like chromium and cadmium
causes neural damage and affects brain development
Causes diseases like skin cancer: Carelessness involved in e waste management can cause
health issues of the workers.
METHODS TO RREDUCE RECYCLE THE PRODUCTION OF E-Waste
Buy-Back Programs: A new method, will pay consumers in cash each time they deposit
unwanted digital products.
e-waste to Energy Concept: e-waste can also be used to generate power. It can generate power
and recovers metals for reuse by using the e-waste as an electrode.
Robotic e-waste Monitoring Systems: IoT e-waste monitoring systems allow waste
management organizations to track the amount of trash gathered in containers and may plan
for way of disposal.
Incentivizing Formal E-waste Recycling: The Indian government can also expand formal e-waste
recycling capacity by co-funding infrastructure upgrades and processing systems at existing
government-approved recycling centers.
Recycling: The discarding of numerous parts of electronic waste containing hazardous
substances such as Printed circuit boards, plastics, discarding of CRT, segregation of nonferrous,
cell phones, hard drives, fax machines, wires, memory chips can be recycled
Advantages
1)It protects the environment: Recycling e-waste can keep a range of harmful materials out of
the environment.
2) It reduces business costs: Most state and territory governments have now incentivized ewaste recycling by hiking the cost of dumping or outright banning it.
3) It supports non-renewable recycling: The growing demand for electronic devices and
appliances mean a range of metals and other non-renewable resources need to be mined and
processed. Recycling e-waste puts these materials back to work after you are done with your
device.
4) It prevents water bodies from poisoning: E waste recycling helps to prevent degradation of
aquatic ecosystems and help to increase the lifespan of aquatic organisms by preventing
release of these toxic elements into inland water bodies.
5) It reduces air pollution: It prevents the release of poisonous gasses and dust. Since recycling
of e-waste reduces mining activities there is considerably less pollution caused.
6) Save Landfill Space: Throwing e-waste into landfills release harmful toxins in the soil.
Recoverable e-waste components are used to create new products, thus keeping e-waste out of
landfills reduce the space a landfill occupies.
7) Increase in Employment: Only experts can deal with electronic waste properly. Increased
education about electronics recycling means more people recycle and more jobs are created.
Challenges
Low or no awareness: both among the producers/manufacturers and consumers/buyers about
production and management of e-waste
Lack of accurate data: no data available about rapidly increasing e-waste volumes generated
domestically and by imports
Major portion processed by informal sector: this uses unauthorized techniques which do not
have experts to deal with chemicals
Manufacturers do not take the responsibility: no buyback programs and reuse of produced
products
E-waste disposed along with garbage: many households throw their e-waste’s like batteries and
smaller equipment in garbage which are the directly dumped into pits.
Conclusion
Electronic waste can cause harm to both environment and humans
So, methods like Reuse and recycle must be used to reduce production of e-waste
Awareness among producers and consumers of e-waste management is essential.
Government has implemented waste management rules like the environment act-1998 and
batteries act 2001
Policies should be imposed which include regulation on import and export of e-waste.
Other companies like Attero recycling pvt. Ltd, Roorkee and e-parisaraa pvt. Ltd in Bangalore.