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What is E-waste ?

 E-waste comprises of
waste electronics
goods which are not fit
for their originally
intended use.

 Such electronics goods

may be television,
telephones, radios,
computers, printers,
fax machines, DVDs
and CDs etc.
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Is E-waste hazardous?

 Electronics products like computers and cell

phones contain a lot of different toxins.

 For example, Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) contain

heavy metals such as Lead, Barium and
Cadmium, which can damage human nervous
and respiratory system if they enter the water
system.

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Effects of E-waste

On Environment On Human Health

 Pollution of Ground-  DNA damage.
Water.  Lung Cancer.
 Acidification of soil.  Damage to heart, liver
 Air Pollution. and spleen.
 E-Waste accounts for  Chronic damage to
40 percent of the lead the brain.
and 75 percent of the  Asthmatic bronchitis.
heavy metals found in
landfills.

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Sources of E-waste

 IT and Telecom Equipments

 Large Household Appliances
 Small Household Appliances
 Consumer & Lighting Equipments
 Electrical & Electronic Tools
 Toys, Leisure & Sports Equipment
 Medical Devices
 Monitoring & Control Instruments

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Dynamics of E-waste Generation

 PC sales were over 7.3 million units during 2007-

08, growing by 16 percent .

 The consumer electronics market is growing at

the rate of 13-15 percent annually.

 The cellular subscriber base was up by 96.86 per

cent during 2007-08.

 The total E-waste in India has been estimated to

be 1,46,180 Tones per year.

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E-waste Management
The major components of E-waste Management are
-
 E-waste collection, sorting and transportation.
 E-waste recycling.

In industries, management of E-waste is done by

Waste
Minimization Techniques. It involves-
 Inventory management,
 Production-process modification,
 Volume reduction,
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 Recovery and reuse.
Recycling of

1. Treatment Options of E-Waste

 Land filling.
 Incineration.

1. Technology Currently Used in India

 Decontamination.
 Dismantling.
 Pulverization/ Hammering.
 Shredding.
 Density separation using water.

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Related Organizations
 E-Parisaraa Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore, Karnataka.

 Attero Recycling Pvt. Ltd., Roorkee, Uttarakhand.

 Eco Recycling Pvt. Ltd., Andheri(East), Mumbai.

 K. G. Nandini, near Bangalore, Karnataka.

 Trishyiraya Recycling India Pvt. Ltd., Chennai.

 Tess Amm Ltd., Chennai.

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Impacts of Informal Recycling
 CRT breaking operations result in injuries from
cuts and acids and respiratory problems due to
shredding, burning etc.

 Waste components which does not have any

resale or reuse value are openly burnt or
disposed off in open dumps.

 Plastic casings, cables and polyvinyl chloride

(PVC) cable insulation can release highly toxic
dioxins and furans when burned.
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Initiatives Taken
 To reduce informal recycling government has
taken following steps :
 Several workshops on electronic waste management has
been organized by CPCB.
 Demonstration projects have also been set up by DIT at the
Indian Telephone Industries.
 Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is an
environmental policy approach in which a
producer’s responsibility for a product is
extended to the post consumer stage.
 Indo-German-Swiss e-waste initiative has been
taken in 2004.
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E-waste Challenges
 Accurate figures not available for rapidly
increasing e-waste volumes generated
domestically and by imports.

 Low level of awareness among manufacturers

and consumers of the hazards of incorrect e-
waste disposal.

 Major portion of e-waste is processed by the

informal (unorganized) sector using rudimentary
techniques.
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Responsibility and Role
Industries
 Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers should
undertake the responsibility of recycling/disposal
of their own products.

 Manufacturers must be responsible for educating

consumers regarding the potential threat posed
by their products.

 Companies should adopt Waste Minimizing

Techniques.

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Responsibility and Role
Citizens
 E-wastes should never be disposed with garbage
and other household wastes.

 Customers should opt for upgrading their

electronic items to the latest versions rather than
buying new.

 While buying electronic products consumers

should opt for those that:
• are made with fewer toxic constituents.
• use recycled content.
• are energy efficient.
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Legislation
 Basel convention for regulating trans-boundary
movement.

 The hazardous waste (management and handling)

rules, 1998 as amended in 2008.

 Municipal solid waste management and handling

rules for non-toxic content.

 The Environment Protection Act - Biomedical

Wastes (M&H) Rules 1998, Batteries (M&H) Rules
2001, etc.
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Conclusion

 Solid waste management becoming more

complicated by the invasion of e-waste,
particularly computer waste.

 Establishment of e-waste collection, exchange

and recycling centers should be encouraged.

 Policy level interventions should include

development of e-waste regulation, control of
import and export of e-wastes.

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