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.
Source: Ministry of Environment and Forest
Huge Amount of E-Waste Poisonous to All
Between 20 and 50 million tons of electronic wast (or e-waste) are produced annually around the world. This adds up to 5 percent of all waste, the same amount as plastic products.
The problem with e-waste is that a single product such as a cellphone or a computer contains between 500 and 1000 parts, many of which are made from toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and beryllium and hazardous chemicals, such as brominated flame retardants.
These chemicals are especially dangerous to workers who produce or dispose of such products, particularly children and pregnant women. Extremely low levels of exposure to lead and mercury can harm children and fetuses.
Cellphones and computers do not need to contain these chemicals to function. A few major companies (Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, and Sony) have pledged to remove these life-threatening components from their products. Others have made no comment on the subject.
(Some facts from Greenpeace: The average lifespan of computers in developed countries has dropped from six years in 1997 to just two years in 2005.
Mobile phones have a lifecycle of less than two years in developed countries.
183 million computers were sold worldwide in 2004 - 11.6 percent more than in 2003.
674 million mobile phones were sold worldwide in 2004 - 30 percent more than in 2003.
By 2010, there will be 716 million new computers in use. There will be 178 million new computer users in China, 80 million new users in India.)
Source: AllVoices
The problem with e-waste is that a single product such as a cellphone or a computer contains between 500 and 1000 parts, many of which are made from toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and beryllium and hazardous chemicals, such as brominated flame retardants.
These chemicals are especially dangerous to workers who produce or dispose of such products, particularly children and pregnant women. Extremely low levels of exposure to lead and mercury can harm children and fetuses.
Cellphones and computers do not need to contain these chemicals to function. A few major companies (Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, and Sony) have pledged to remove these life-threatening components from their products. Others have made no comment on the subject.
(Some facts from Greenpeace: The average lifespan of computers in developed countries has dropped from six years in 1997 to just two years in 2005.
Mobile phones have a lifecycle of less than two years in developed countries.
183 million computers were sold worldwide in 2004 - 11.6 percent more than in 2003.
674 million mobile phones were sold worldwide in 2004 - 30 percent more than in 2003.
By 2010, there will be 716 million new computers in use. There will be 178 million new computer users in China, 80 million new users in India.)
Source: AllVoices
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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.”
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.”
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E -Waste Gyaan For Aam Admi
MPCB to conduct workshop on e-Waste management
Mumbaikars have been found guilty of flouting environmental norms with regard to disposal of e-Waste. So, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has decided to hold a one-day workshop for the aam admi or common man, to teach them e-Waste management. he workshop to be conducted at the MPCB office at Sion on July 16 will be open to all.
Y B Sontakke, regional officer (e-Waste) from MPCB said people will be taught to dispose e-Waste safely.
Citing a recent example, another official from MPCB said that tonnes of hazardous waste were found lying at Kharghar ground. "We are yet to find out, who dumped the material there," he added.
B K Soni, an expert on e-Waste recycling, said, "Representatives from both residential complexes and industries are invited. The purpose is to make people aware of the hazards of dumping e-Waste carelessly and the damage it can do to nature."
Approved Recycling plants in Mumbai
Bhiwandi: 2
Thane: 2
Pune: 2
Murbad: 1
Vasai: 1
Mumbaikars have been found guilty of flouting environmental norms with regard to disposal of e-Waste. So, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has decided to hold a one-day workshop for the aam admi or common man, to teach them e-Waste management. he workshop to be conducted at the MPCB office at Sion on July 16 will be open to all.
Y B Sontakke, regional officer (e-Waste) from MPCB said people will be taught to dispose e-Waste safely.
Citing a recent example, another official from MPCB said that tonnes of hazardous waste were found lying at Kharghar ground. "We are yet to find out, who dumped the material there," he added.
B K Soni, an expert on e-Waste recycling, said, "Representatives from both residential complexes and industries are invited. The purpose is to make people aware of the hazards of dumping e-Waste carelessly and the damage it can do to nature."
Approved Recycling plants in Mumbai
Bhiwandi: 2
Thane: 2
Pune: 2
Murbad: 1
Vasai: 1
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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.
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