E-WASTE

MANAGEMENT
 E-Waste Topics of Importance
 What exactly is E-waste?
 Categories and components of E-waste
 Dangers of E-waste
 The sensitive nature of E-waste
 Laws and regulations
 Stakeholders in E-waste
 What can be done with E-waste?
 E-Waste management initiatives (International)
 The de-manufacturing and recycle processes
What exactly is E-waste?
 E-Waste Items
 All types of computers and accessories
 Cell, smart, and home phones
 Answering machines, tapes and accessories
 Office equipment (fax machines, printers, &
copiers)
 Digital cameras & associated storage devices
 TVs, DVRs, cable boxes & video equipment
 Audio equipment and accessories
 Navigation devices
 All other electronic devices & storage media
 E-Waste Generators
 Homes & Residences
 Commercial Businesses
 Professional Offices
 Financial Institutions
 Health Care Industries
 Large Manufacturing Industries
 Utilities & Public Services
 Local, State & Central Governments
 Background
 Obsolescence of technology: outdated within 18
months
 Upcoming analog to digital conversion
 Electronic Waste [Waste EEE (Electric, Electronic
Equipment)] one of the fast growing waste streams
all over the world
 E-waste has been identified as the fastest growing
waste stream in the world; forecast to soon reach 40
million tonnes a year.
 The European Environment Agency has calculated
that the volume of e-waste is rising about three times
faster than any other form of municipal waste.
 Background
 Average 1-3% of total solid waste in developed
countries
 Increases by 16-28% every 5 years
 Electric and electronic equipment contain over 1,000
different substances including toxic heavy metals and
organics which can pose serious environmental
pollution problem upon irresponsible disposal
 E-waste as source hazardous wastes
 E-waste can be an overland mine for specific metals
 E-waste is a GLOBAL CRISIS to be challenged
Source World Bank 2002
In 2009 Egypt jumped to
500-1060 mobile phones
per 1000 people category.
 E – Waste Facts

E-waste (Mobile Phones)

 700 million obsolete phones discarded in
2005 contained 560,000 kg of lead in the
form of solder
 Average working life - 7 years but

 Worldwide average - 11 months

 Over one billion handsets in use in 2006
 E – Waste Facts
E-waste (Computers)
 Manufacturing takes at least 240 kg of fossil

fuels, 22 kg of chemicals and 1.5 tonnes of

water – more than the weight of a car
 Life span changed from 4-6 years in 1997 to 2

years in 2005 and further decreasing

 One billion in use by the end of 2008 - two

billion by 2015
 COMPONENTS OF E-WASTE
 Fe and steel
 Non-ferrous metals (Pb, Cu, Al, Au, …)
 Glass
 Plastic
 Electronic components (R, C, L, ICs…)
 Others (rubber, wood, ceramics, …)
 COMPONENTS OF E-WASTE
(Hazardous Materials)
Component Hazardous Materials
CRT Pb, As, Hg, P

LCD Hg
Fluorescent lamp Hg, P, flame retardants (FR)
Cooling system Ozone depleting substance (ODS)
Others Se, AsO3, Cd, Cr, Co, Mn, Br, Ba
 COMPONENTS OF E-WASTE
(Hazardous Materials Inside a PC)
 DANGERS OF E-WASTE
Material Occurrence in E-waste Health and Environmental Impact
Beryllium Copper-beryllium alloys,  beryllium sensitization/chronic
springs, relays and beryllium disease
connections  human carcinogens
 released as beryllium oxide dust or
fume during high temperature metal
processing
Cadmium Contacts, switches, nickel-  persistent and mobile in aquatic
cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries, environments (ATSDR 2000)
printer inks and toners  damage to the kidneys and bone
toxicity, released if plastic is burned
or during high temperature metal
processing
Lead Circuit boards/ cathode ray  Risk for small children and fetuses
tubes CTR  Damage to the nervous system,
red blood cells, kidneys and
potential increases in high blood
pressure;
 Incineration can result in release to
the air
 DANGERS OF E-WASTE
Material Occurrence in E-waste Health and Environmental Impact
Mercury Lighting devices that  Impacts the central nervous
illuminate flat screen system
displays, switches and  Land filling and incineration of flat
relays panel displays results in the release
to the environment
PCBs Insulating fluids for  Suppression of the immune
(polychlorinated transformers and capacitors, system, liver damage, cancer
biphenyls) flame-retardant plasticizers promotion, damage to the nervous
system
 Damage to reproductive systems
 EFFECTS OF E-WASTE TOXINS
ON SOIL
Effects on soil:
 Toxic leachates: Hg, Cd, Pb, P

 Uncontrolled fire risk →toxic fumes

 Biologically non-degradable: Cd, Hg, FR

Policies & Regulations

19
 INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES
in E-waste Management
 GeSI (Global e-Sustainability Initiative): a global partnership of
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) companies that
promotes technologies for a sustainable development.
 StEP – an initiative of various UN organizations with the overall aim
to solve the e-waste problem. Together with prominent members
from industry, governments, international organizations, NGOs and
the science sector actively participating in StEP,
 UNESCO Computer equipment recycling guidelines for Africa
 Basel Convention
 Partnership on used and end of life Mobile Phones (MPPI)
 Partnership for Action on Computing Equipment (PACE)
 G8 3Rs Initiative; GTZ; UNEP/DTIE (IETC); SECO, etc.
 Many other initiatives by manufacturers for recycling end of life
products belong to them (corporate responsibilities; e.g HP, Canon,
…..)
 POLICIES AND REGULATIONS
IN INDIA
Policies, laws and regulations applicable for the
management of E-waste are :
 The National Environmental Policy 2006

 E-Waste Guidelines – 2008

 The Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling)

Rules 1989 as amended in 2003 & 2008

 Foreign Trade Policy restricts import of second-hand

computers and does not permit import of E-waste

 The E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules,

2011
 POLICIES AND REGULATIONS

The National Environmental Policy 2006

encourage reuse and recycling
strengthening informal sector and providing them
a legal status
establish system for collection and recycling of
materials to recover resources
environmentally safe disposal of residues
 POLICIES AND REGULATIONS
E-Waste Guidelines - 2008
 Basic guidance document recognizing fundamental

principles:
 Producer Responsibility (EPR)

 RoHS (Restriction on Hazardous Substances)

 Best practices

 Insight into technologies for various levels of

recycling
 Need for a separate legislation mentioned in the

guidelines for effective implementation of the

principles governing the E-waste management
 POLICIES AND REGULATIONS
The E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011
Rules entrusts responsibilities on each stakeholder in the e-waste
value chain:
 Producers: Producer Responsibility, Extended (EPR) &
Individual (IPR) to ensure environmentally sound management
of end of use electrical and electronic equipments.
 Collection Centres: organized agencies for e-waste collection.

 Consumer and bulk consumers: responsible to return post

consumer e- waste.
 Dismantler: de-manufacturing 1st step in recycling to separate

the parts for recovery

 Recycler: recycling to recover valuable resources using EST.

distinct role and responsibility for each stakeholder

E-Waste Management

25
 STAKEHOLDERS IN E-WASTE
MANAGEMENT
 Industry-manufacturers, Producers
 Product supply chain Links
 Corporate/Bulk Users
 Recyclers – Informal & Formal
 Government & Regulatory Agencies
 Municipalities
 Industry Associations
 Research Institutions & Experts
 General Public/Consumers/Users
 NGOs
 Financial Institutions
 E-Waste Management:
Two Main Aspects
 Recycling and/or Reuse
 Keeping hazardous materials found in electronics

from disposal into landfills.

 Data Security
 Insuring all electronic data storage devices and

media are cleaned.

 Insuring all data storage devices and media in all

electronics are completely sanitized.

 Insuring all data sanitation is fully documented and

auditable.
 E-Waste Management
In industries management of e-waste should begin at the point
of generation. This can be done by waste minimization
techniques and by sustainable product design. Waste
minimization in industries involves adopting:
 Inventory management: Purchase procedures, Inventory
tracking system
 Production-process modification: Operation change, Material
change, Process equipment modification
 Volume reduction: Source segregation, waste concentration
 Recovery and reuse: Inter-industry exchange, on-site and off-
site recovery
 Four Basic Principles – Reduce,
Reuse, Recycle & Respond

 Waste Prevention: Minimize the

Volume
 Reduce waste and pollution

 Reuse as many things as

possible
 Recycle as much waste as

possible
 Chemically or biologically
treat or incinerate
 Bury what is left
 Re-use: Reuse is the environmentally preferable option for
managing older electronic equipment. Extending the life of old
products minimizes the pollution and resource consumption
associated with making new products. ( MAXIMIZE RE-
USE)

 Electronic equipments which are too old and commercially &

practically not viable for reuse or is broken beyond repair,
may be sent for disassembly i.e. salvaging parts, and selling
reclaimed materials.

 Several electronic equipment, such as computers, monitors,

printers, and scanners, contain materials suitable for
reclamation and use in new products. These may include
plastic, glass, copper, gold, silver, and other metals.
 E-Waste Recycling

 Equipment refurbishment and resale

 De-manufacturing and disassembly
 Recovering valuable components
 Hazardous and base metal recovery
 Hazardous component management
Issues in E-waste
recycling

32
 Recycling scenario in India
 E-waste recycling is presently
concentrated in the informal
(unorganized) sector
 No organized collection system prevails
 Operations are mostly illegal
 Processes are highly polluting
 Recycling operations engage in:
dismantling
sale of dismantled parts
valuable resource recovery
export of processed waste for
precious metal recovery

…expected to rapidly change with formal

recyclers setting operations
 Concerns in Informal Recycling
 High-risk backyard operation
 Non- efficient and Non-
environmentally sound
technologies
 Occupational and environmental
hazards
 Loss of resources due to inefficient
processes
 Impacts vulnerable social groups-
Women, children and immigrant
labourers
 E-waste recycling - Informal sector
 More than 90% of the E-waste recycling in India
takes place in the Informal sector
 Informal sector widespread
 Have active and efficient network
 Labour intensive - cheap labour, child labour
 Manual dismantling no machines required
 Material recovery by crude methods
 Operations in small congested unsafe areas
 No personal protection equipment used
 Occupational health & safety neglected
 Adverse impact on environment and health
Dismantling e-waste (manual)

Informal sector
Copper extraction

Using Acids Burning PCBs/wires

Informal sector
E-Waste and the Informal Sector

Precious metal recovery

 E-waste recycling - Formal sector
PRESENT SCENARIO
 E-waste recycling units essentially dismantle, segregate, shred

 Send sorted/shredded e-waste to refineries and units in the

developed nations for metal extraction recovery

 Few formal recyclers are setting up end to end recycling units in

India and one such unit is in operation near Roorkee

CHANGING SCENARIO
 Formal Recycling units being set up in India which are like any

other industrial operation

 Formal recyclers are responsible for environmental compliance

seeking authorizations and permissions

 E-waste recycling in the formal sector are committed to

corporate social responsibility (CSR)

E-waste dismantling & shredding (mechanical)

Formal sector
Copper Extraction & Recovery
Electrolytic Process

Formal sector
 Integration of informal & formal –
model for E- waste management
The model for e-waste management in India ideally requires
integration of the activities between the informal and formal
sectors and bring them into the mainstream of e-waste
recycling activity.
Steps involved in Integration
 Agreements/MOU between the stakeholders
 Maintain entrepreneurship
 Specify activities for informal sector
 Identify activities for formal sector
 Dovetail activities of informal & formal
 Establish linkages and support systems
 Formation of associations
E-waste Management Programme
 Step 1: Rapid Assessment of E-waste in the Country
 Step 2: Establish Multi-stakeholder Partnership for E-
waste Management
 Step 3: Implement Awareness Campaign about E-waste
Threats and Opportunities
 Step 4: Develop and Enhance capacities for
Environmental Friendly E-waste management System
 Step 5: Establish E-waste Recycle Trading System
 Conclusion
 Need for a e-waste policy and legislation
 Create a national framework for the environmentally sound
management of e-waste
 Conduct detailed inventories of e-waste
 Initiate pilot schemes on collection and sorting of e-wastes,
including take back schemes and schemes for repair
refurbishment and recycling
 Encourage and facilitate organized recycling systems
 Should subsidies recycling and disposal industries
 Collect fee from manufactured/consumers for the disposal of
toxic material
 Incentive schemes for garbage collectors and general public
for collecting and handling over e-waste
 Awareness programme on e-waste for school children and
general public