India: A matter of waste

More than 500,000 tonnes of e-waste is generated in India each year while some developed countries also ship their waste there. Recycling electronic waste is big business in India, but at what cost to the environment and public health?

Maharashtra Association Will Help Draft E-Waste Policy

With the rise in use of electronic goods, the amount of e-waste produced has also risen to alarming levels. To address the issue, the Maharashtra E-Waste Association (Mewa) has been invited by the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) to get suggestions on the draft of the E-Waste (Handling and Management) Rules, 2010.

The initiative is being taken by Clean Sweep Forum (CSF), an NGO which has been advocating proper waste management for the last eight years.

The NGO, along with MEWA, is now organising a seminar with all the stakeholders to come up with an agreed set of comments and suggestions to be considered for the e-waste policy.

“We have been waiting for the government to formulate the rules since a long time. Since the last two years, we have been organising awareness programmes for the public, students and others on e-waste. It is imperative for us to study the draft rules and give our considered views on it as it will affect us directly,” said Raj Kumar Sharma, Convenor, CSF.

E-waste needs to be recycled and reused, say experts. However, there is no set policy on e-waste and most of its disposal is done by the informal sector.

“While developed countries have a process to dismantle and recycle, in India there is no such policy. Most of it goes to the ragpickers who then sell it to the informal industry in Saki Naka and Dharavi where cheap TVs or computer sets are made out of it,” said Sharma.
Source :DNA

E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2010

The Central Government considers it necessary in the public interest and to enable the recovery and/or reuse of useful material from Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), thereby reducing the hazardous wastes destined for disposal and to ensure the environmentally sound management of all types of waste electrical and electronic equipment. These rules may be called the E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2010. They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette. 

Draft E Waste Rules 2010

Source: Ministry of Environment and Forest

Electronic Waste Management

In the 1970s, Gordon E. Moore theorized that computer processing power doubles about every 18 months, especially relative to cost or size. His theory, known as Moore’s Law, has proved largely true. Thinner, sleeker, and faster computers are regularly produced and sold as replacements for their larger, slower predecessors. While this is good news for the both the consumer and the manufacturer it results in an ever increasing source of electronic garbage.

And certainly this phenomenon is not limited to computers. Most consumer electronics and even unsophisticated household appliances are built with internal processors which are also doomed to eventual obsolescence. Each day, various types of consumer electronics are constantly being upgraded or completely scrapped in favor of technological advancements. In the process, scores of old VCRs, Walkman cassette decks and bulky video cameras become what is known as “e-waste” or electronic waste.

Certain e-waste items are particularly harmful. For instance, CRT-based computer and television monitors contain on average four to eight pounds of lead, a highly toxic heavy metal. Unfortunately, improper disposal of e-waste creates a significant burden on landfills because toxic substances can leach into the soil and groundwater. Absent recycling, the problem could escalate.

The total annual global volume of e-waste is expected to reach about 40 million metric tons. This amount is likely to increase because e-waste is growing at three times the rate of other municipal waste. Although e-waste accounts for only one to four percent of municipal waste, it may be responsible for as much as 70 percent of the heavy metals in landfills, including 40 percent of all lead. As individuals and corporations alike become more conscious of the increasingly unfortunate effects of this type of ecological pollution the question of how to properly handle e-waste becomes an important one. Where in the past consumers were happy to bury and forget all kinds of waste now they are concerned with the ultimate effects of such behavior.

Some governments are getting involved in the problem by passing laws or advocating changes in the waste management policies of the private sector. Government officials feel it is important that not just companies, but consumers are made aware of the issue, with many pressing for educational efforts geared at educating the general public about the dangers of ignoring and the potential benefits of recycling e-waste. Many corporations and waste management companies also feel it’s of the utmost importance that the average consumer understands which electronics need special care when it comes time to dispose or recycle them, pointing out that even though large companies do produce a large amount of e-waste the bulk comes from individuals.

One solution is that e-waste should not be considered waste. It is a resource. Useful materials such as glass, copper, aluminum, plastic and other components can often be extracted and reused. Some manufacturers have even referred to e-waste as a valuable source of materials. Many landfills and waste processing plants have instituted new procedures to assure that the valuable materials found in e-waste are not accidentally buried and forgotten. Waste management services in Australia, Asia, Europe and North America have begun concerted efforts to capture these precious resources rather than let them be discarded forever. Some companies around the globe even have made a business model based on the excavation of disused landfills. Recycling valuable materials form years gone by.

With an increasing array of environmentally-friendly options now available, people should consider recycling or donating their old electronic devices. With either choice, we can reduce the amount of e-waste and actually put our old items to good use.

William Wright writes articles for Veolia Environmental Services, http://www.veoliaes.com.au/industrial-services/waste-management/ a provider of effective and sustainable waste management in Australia, http://www.veoliaes.com.au/commercial-services/waste-collection-and-recycling with over 30 years experience in waste services in New South Wales. Veolia is an established industry leader on e-waste recycling in Adelaide. Visit http://www.veoliaes.com.au/ for more information.

Source: ArticleCity

The Dangers of E-Waste

Recycling old electronics keeps toxic components from contaminating the environment. Recycled improperly, however, they could end up polluting not only your area but also other countries.

E-waste Must Be Treated On A War Footing

DAVANAGERE: Electronic waste is posing danger to environment and there is an urgent need for its recycling and disposal, said A S Sadashivaiah, chairman of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB).

He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating World Environment Day celebrations and the 60th annual conference of Association of Occupational Health Karnataka (AOHK) at JJM Medical College here recently.

"Over 10,000 tonnes of electronic waste is being generated daily in the state. Bangalore alone contributes over 50% of electronic waste (e-waste). A lot of toxic elements are being released to the environment. There is a severe threat to environment if the e-waste is not scientifically treated and disposed off," he said, adding that there is a possibility to recover some precious metals like gold, silver, platinum from e-waste. KSPCB has signed an MoU with a Belgium-based organization for recovering precious metals.

The KSPCB chief asked Davanagere DC P S Vastrad to impose a ban on the use of plastics less than 20 microns. Davanagere MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa inaugurated a training and research centre for occupational health under Bapuji Educational Association here on the occasion. He said necessary money and man power will be extended for the welfare of the people working in various industries.

AOHK president Dr Kanaka Rao, Dr Rajmohan, in-charge director of regional occupational health centre (Bangalore) and the members of AOHK were present. Over 200 delegates from medical colleges and industries took part in the event. 

Source: Times of India

E-Waste in India - Short documentary

The world is consuming more and more electronic products every year. This has caused a dangerous explosion in electronic scrap (e-waste) containing toxic chemicals and heavy metals that cannot be disposed of or recycled safely. But this problem can be avoided. We are pressing leading electronic companies to change; to turn back the toxic tide of e-waste. Every year, hundreds of thousands of old computers and mobile phones are dumped in landfills or burned in smelters. Thousands more are exported, often illegally, from the Europe, US, Japan and other industrialised countries, to Asia. There, workers at scrap yards, some of whom are children, are exposed to a cocktail of toxic chemicals and poisons.