Go Green — With Every Opportunity

Energy conservation measures that enable TCS to help itself, others.

TCS, has analysed and measured its employees' per capita carbon footprint, and worked towards reducing it by 20 per cent from its 2006 levels.
M. Ramesh
R. Ravikumar

If you look at it from an ecology perspective, the role of information technology divides in a ratio of 98:2. The ‘2' refers to the contribution of IT to the emission of greenhouse gases and what the industry should do about it. The other 98 per cent is an area where IT can play a role in helping other industries bring down emissions, and generally live a green life.

The first 2 per cent is responsibility, the other 98 per cent is business. As the world goes green, there is a huge role and business opportunity for IT to help in the process.

The green thrust across the world is opening up new areas of operations to the IT industry. Europe, for instance, has avowed to produce 20 per cent of the electricity it needs from renewable sources, by the year 20:20. This ‘20:20:20' movement calls for an addition of 30,000 MW of wind power capacity, most of which will come offshore.

To take the example of ‘wind' further, the offshore technology is still emerging and a lot of money is being sunk into perfecting the machines and the foundation they stand on and in fact there are efforts put into making them towable. Imagine the amount of work that would need to be done at the back offices, where the R&D is developed and perfected.

And if you get into other renewable energy (RE) sources — solar, wave, geothermal and so on — the quantum of work that is due to be done is enormous — and so is the opportunity to the (Indian) IT industry.

Tata Consultancy Services, for one, has spotted this opportunity. It has created a vertical to address this area — the ‘Eco Sustainability Service'. The unit is busy selling its services.

Samir Menon, Head – Client Relationships, Eco Sustainability Service, TCS, lists out four areas where the IT industry will be able to straightaway chip in — design and development where IT can provide modelling and simulation services, enhancing efficiency of existing systems, maintenance (a big cost and an opportunity especially in offshore wind farms) and understand customer requirements, which is a bit of an MIS.

This, of course, is for starters. There is plenty more to do as we go along. For instance, decommissioning, an issue an(y) industry would need to address upfront, but is mostly not being done now. As technology improves and you want to replace your legacy system with a better one, you wouldn't want to be grappling with an unforeseen eWaste issue, notes Menon. The IT industry (itself a eWaste generator) can hardly afford not to go green itself, regardless of the fact that its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions is only 2 per cent. The technology of virtualisation has helped enormously, as you could telescope a host of servers into one and thereby save space, material and, importantly, air-conditioning.

IT starts at home

There are many other areas too where the IT industry can shrink its carbon footprint.

TCS again has done a few things in this direction. Lakshminarasimham Srinivasan, Head – Strategic Business Unit, Eco Sustainability Services, TCS, has analysed and measured its employees' per capita carbon footprint, and worked towards reducing it by 20 per cent from its 2006 levels. “Our target is to reduce it by 25 per cent by 2012,” he says. The company's server Consolidation & Virtualisation in data centres resulted in 79 per cent savings in power consumed by servers in 2008-09. Usage of power-efficient monitors resulted in a drop of 57 per cent in monitor power during the year. On per capita basis, it works out to 15.6 per cent reduction.

There is a lot an IT company can do to reduce its carbon footprint, says Srinivasan. TCS, for instance, replaced all its CRT monitors with TFT monitors. It introduced ‘desktop hibernation' to reduce wastage of energy during non-office hours.

Time and temperature control on air-conditioners and provision of intelligent light sensors, minimising use of halogen and other energy-intensive lighting, use of non-conventional energy resources such as solar water system and bio-digester also helped in a big way.

Importantly, “we cut down on travel by deploying over 200 video conferencing units,” says Srinivasan.

In 2008-09, TCS saw a 42 per cent drop in paper consumption, which it achieved by measures such as providing duplex printing by default to all printers and replacing paper and plastic cups with ceramic mugs. It is not inconceivable that like TCS, the other IT biggies have their own programmes, regardless of whether or not they have created a business unit to capture green business. However, there is not much evidence of the medium and small IT companies being sensitised to this business opportunity. For them, it is time to get cracking.

mramesh@thehindu.co.in

Source: Business Line

Flying Squads To Track E-waste

The Maharashtra Government will soon appoint flying squads to check the disposal of e-waste, which has a hazardous impact on the city’s environment.

An announcement in this regard was made by Minister of State for Environment, Sachin Ahir in the Legislative Council last week. “The flying squads are necessary to monitor disposal of e-waste in the city, as a report released by state pollution board indicates an alarming 50,000 tonnes of e-waste could be generated per year,” Ahir said.

The state has started disposal centres at Taloja, Butibori and Ranjangaon near Pune. Containers carrying e-waste are being tracked by GPS system to ensure waste is disposed properly, the minister said.

The Centre has come up with a draft proposal to be converted into an Act for proper disposal of e-waste and has invited suggestions. Mumbai generates 20,000 tonnes of e-waste and old computers account for 14,000 tonnes. The rest is generated by old TV sets, washing machines and refrigerators. 
Source: Mumbai Mirror

E-waste Volume To Increase In Coming Years

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: India would be confronted with the threat of accumulation of E-waste in the coming years if necessary policy and regulations are not put in place to check its growth now, says a paper presented at the recently held 'Kerala Environment Congress-2010.'

The total e-waste in different forms in the country would now come to around more than 1.46 lakh tonnes per year and this is expected to exceed eight lakh tonnes by 2012, Kurian Joseph, Assistant Professor, Environmental Engineering, Centre for Environmental Studies, Anna University, Chennai said.

Stating that E-waste has given rise to new environmental challenges,Joseph said Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu,Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, Karnataka, Gujarat, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh generate 70 per cent of the total e-waste in the country.

Quoting a study by an NGO,he said Bangalore city with 1,322 software companies, 36 hardware units and business process outsourcing units disposes 8000 tonnes of waste per year.

The biggest concern with E-waste was the presence of toxic materials such as lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic, printer cartridge inks and toners that pose significant health risks, he said.

These components can contaminate soil, groundwater and air as well as affect the workers of the recycling units and the community living around it, he said.

Iron and steel were the most common materials found and accounted for half of the total E-wastes, followed by plastics and Non-ferrous metals, he said.

'Toxic substances and other harmful substances are usually concentrated in printed circuit boards' he said in the paper titled 'Electronic Waste Management-An Indian Outlook'.

'Though, the share of E-waste may not be alarming at this stage, it is necessary to take preventive steps to contain this, before it reaches unmanageable proportions', he said.

Advocating an E-waste Policy for the country, he said main objectives should be minimising E-waste generation,using the E-waste for beneficial purposes through environment friendly recycling process and ensuring environmentally sound disposal of residual waste.

Source: Economic Times

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

Developing Nations Face Environmental Crisis From E-waste

Developing nations will face a major environmental and public health crisis from e-waste if they do not quickly put in place measures for safe recycling and disposal of electronics, the U.N. Environmental Program has warned.

E-waste refers to the problem of improperly disposed of electronics such as computers, televisions and cell phones. These devices are made with highly toxic metals, plastics and chemicals that can leach into the environment if not handled carefully.

Already, e-waste is a growing problem worldwide, especially in developing nations. The U.N. report notes that most e-waste in China is not properly disposed of. The most common disposal method consists of incineration in small, backyard recylclers to extract valuable metals contained within discarded devices. Yet the report's authors note that such recyclers recover metals at very low rates, while expelling large, steady toxic plumes into the sky. In contrast, modern industrial recycling facilities are able to recover gold, silver, copper, palladium, indium and other precious metals much more efficiently and with significantly less pollution.

China currently produces 2.3 million tons of e-waste, surpassed only by the United States' 3 million tons.

Demand for electronic devices is growing, with sales expected to increase dramatically across China, India, Africa and Latin America in the next 10 years. This is especially alarming given that disposal methods in these regions are still insufficient for even current levels of e-waste.

By 2017, e-waste from old computers alone is expected to increase to 500 percent above 2007 levels in India, and between to between 200 and 400 percent above these levels in South Africa and China. Waste from old cell phones is set to increase sevenfold in China and eighteenfold in India. Television waste is slated to increase by 1.5 to two times in both countries.

"This report gives new urgency to establishing ambitious, formal, and regulated processes for collecting and managing e-waste via the setting up of large, efficient facilities in China," said Achim Steiner director of the U.N. Environment Program.
Source: Natural News

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.

As E-Waste Mountains Soar, UN Urges Smart Technologies To Protect Health

With the mountains of hazardous waste from electronic products growing exponentially in developing countries, sometimes by as much as 500 per cent, the United Nations today called for new recycling technologies and regulations to safeguard both public health and the environment.

So-called e-waste from products such as old computers, printers, mobile phones, pagers, digital photo and music devices, refrigerators, toys and televisions, are set to rise sharply in tandem with growth in sales in countries like China and India and in Africa and Latin America over the next 10 years, according to a report issued by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

The study, Recycling – from E-Waste to Resources, launched at a meeting of hazardous wastes experts in Bali, Indonesia, predicts that by 2020 e-waste from old computers will have jumped by 500 per cent from 2007 levels in India, and by 200 to 400 per cent in South Africa and China, while that from old mobile phones will be 7 times higher in China and 18 times higher in India.

At the same time, most e-waste in China is improperly handled, much of it incinerated by backyard recyclers to recover valuable metals like gold, practices that release steady plumes of far-reaching toxic pollution and yield very low metal recovery rates compared to state-of-the-art industrial facilities.

“This report gives new urgency to establishing ambitious, formal and regulated processes for collecting and managing e-waste via the setting up of large, efficient facilities in China,” UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said. “China is not alone in facing a serious challenge. India, Brazil, Mexico and others may also face rising environmental damage and health problems if e-waste recycling is left to the vagaries of the informal sector.

“In addition to curbing health problems, boosting developing country e-waste recycling rates can have the potential to generate decent employment, cut greenhouse gas emissions and recover a wide range of valuable metals including silver, gold, palladium, copper and indium. By acting now and planning forward many countries can turn an e-challenge into an e-opportunity.”

The report, issued at a conference of parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions dealing with hazardous wastes ahead of UNEP’s Governing Council meeting in Bali, recommends that countries establish e-waste management centres of excellence, building on existing organizations working in the area of recycling and waste management.

China’s lack of a comprehensive e-waste collection network, combined with competition from the lower-cost informal sector, has held back state-of-the art e-waste recycling plants, it said, while noting a successful pilot in Bangalore, India, to transform informal e-waste collection and management.

Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Morocco and South Africa are cited as places with great potential to introduce state-of-the-art e-waste recycling technologies because the informal e-waste sector is relatively small. Kenya, Peru, Senegal and Uganda have relatively low e-waste volumes today but these are likely to grow. All four would benefit from capacity building in so-called pre-processing technologies such as manual dismantling of e-waste, the report says.

It notes that China already produces about 2.3 million tonnes of e-waste domestically each year, second only to the United States with about 3 million tonnes, while it remains a major dumping ground for developed countries despite having banned e-waste imports.

“One person’s waste can be another’s raw material,” said Konrad Osterwalder, Rector of the UN University (UNU), which was among the co-authors of the report together with the Swiss EMPA research institute and Umicore, an international speciality materials group. “The challenge of dealing with e-waste represents an important step in the transition to a green economy.

“This report outlines smart new technologies and mechanisms which, combined with national and international policies, can transform waste into assets, creating new businesses with decent green jobs. In the process, countries can help cut pollution linked with mining and manufacturing, and with the disposal of old devices.”