E-Waste Management in India

                    

                     E-waste has been defined as "waste electrical and electronic equipment, whole or in part or reject from their manufacturing and repair process, which intended to be discarded".  To the highlight the rising challenge posed by mountains of discarded electronic worldwide.

                      Seven UN entities have come together to lunch report-"A new circular vision for electronics- "Time for Global Reboot"-at the World Electronic Forum in Davos Switzerland in a bid to offer some solutions to a behemoth sized problem that is making the world sicker and adding to environment degradation.

                     The world,  not  much  emphasis  has  been  given  to  the  E-waste  engendered  in  developing  countries.  Developing  countries  like  India,  today,  is  burdened with  the  colossal  problem  of  E-waste  which  is  either  locally  generated  or  internationally  imported,  causing  serious  menace  to  human  health  and  environment.  The hazardous components in electrical and electronic equipment are a major concern during the waste management phase. In the context of India,  recycling  of Waste  Electrical  and  Electronic Equipment  is  not  undertaken  to  an  adequate  degree. E-waste export, though, is regulated under the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, which has been ratified by 188 nations.
           
                   In the fact that globally, only up to 20% of e-waste is recycled. The rest is undocumented and experts predict that it gets buried under the ground in landfills for centuries as it is not biodegradable.

                   And how does it impact us? “From lead-lined, cathode ray tubes to old TVs, to lead and chromium in circuit boards (of various devices), e-waste contains substances that are hazardous to human health, including, mercury, cadmium and lead. E-waste can pollute water sources and food-supply chains.”

                      Solutions to the crisis- Highlights of the report by UN:  The report calls for systematic collaboration with major brands, small and medium-sized enterprises, academia, trade unions, civil society and associations in a deliberative process to reorient the system and reduce the waste of resources each year with a value greater than the GDP of most countries.

                    To capture the global value of materials in e-waste and create global circular value chains, use new technology to create service business models, better product tracking and manufacturer or retailer take-back programmes.

                   The report notes that material efficiency, recycling infrastructure and scaling up the volume and quality of recycled materials to meet the needs of electronics supply chains will all be essential for future production.

                  The producers should also have buy-back or return offers for old equipment, and plans to incentivise the consumer financially. The report also advocates a system of ‘urban mining’ by strengthening the extended producer responsibility provision.

                  Job potential: If the electronics sector is supported with the right policy mix and managed in the right way, it could lead to the creation of millions of decent jobs worldwide.          

                  According to a 2011 Rajya Sabha secretariat study, e-waste accounts for 70% of Indian landfills. If penetration of electronics and electrical products in India by 2030 have to grow even to today’s average world capita which leads to e waste of 6 kg per capita, the absolute e waste generation for India will grow five times the current level to 9 million tonnes in 2030.                                                                                                                                                                                   

• The producers/manufacturers do not have adequate information on their website regarding e waste management.
• Customer care representatives do not have inkling about any take back or recycling programme and even if they have set up collection centres, they are simply not enough for a geographically vast country like India.
• India being a vast country, setting up collection mechanism is a big challenge. If any of the brands try individually to reach out to all corners of the country, it will economically not be sustainable or feasible.
• Improper enforcement of the existing laws is another hurdle.