E-WASTE DISPOSAL IN INDIA ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS AND

STRATEGIES FOR ITS EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT

G. ANBALAGAN, M.Sc., M. Phil.Assistant Regional Director,

IGNOU Regional Centre, Visakhapatnam – 530 017 E-mail: anbalagan@ignou.ac.in

WHAT ARE E-WASTES?• E-waste refers to end-of-life or discarded appliances

using electricity which commonly includes television, computers, laptops, mobile phones, radios, consumer electronics, fridges etc which have been disposed of by their original users.

COMPOSITION OF E-WASTE• The electronic wastes contain both hazardous

and non-hazardous substances

• Metals like Mercury (Hg), Chromium (Cr), Lead (Pb), Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd) and Copper (Cu)

• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Liquid crystals and several classes of brominates as flame retardants

RISKS OF E - WASTE• E-waste contain hazardous heavy

metals when disposed in the open environment pose serious threat to human, animals and plants.

• Most of the metals in e-waste are carcinogenic in nature

• Amount of e-waste being produced including mobile phones and computers could rise by as much as 500 percent over the next decade in countries like India

How Electronic products become E-waste?

Rapid Development in Technology Changing design, fashion and trends in

Mobile phone markets Attractive offers from manufacturers Shorter life of electronic products Increase in customers ICT culture in all fields

E-WASTE GENERATION IN INDIA• In India, electronic waste is mostly

generated in large cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Hyderabad.

• Due to Lack of complex e-waste handling infrastructure in these cities, e-wastes are mainly operated by a very entrepreneurial informal sector.

E-WASTE SCENARIO

In India during the year 2005 E-wastes has been estimated to 146180.00 tonnes This is expected

to exceed 8,00,000 tonnes by the end of the

year 2012.

Ten states generate 70% of the total e-waste generated in

India. • Maharashtra ranks

first followed by Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab in the list of e-waste generating states.

Among top ten cities generating e-waste, Mumbai ranks first followed by Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Surat and Nagpur.

TOXIC CHEMICALS IN E-WASTE

Lead – Affects Central and Peripheral Nervous system, Kidney Damage, Inhibits oxygen carrying capacity of blood

Cadmium – Toxic, stores in Kidney, Neural damage

Mercury – Chronic damage to brain, Respiratory and skin disorders

Chromium – DNA disorders, Asthma Barium – Muscle weakness, kidney

damage Beryllium – Lung cancer, beryllicosis,

skin diseases PVC – Hormonal problems,

Reproductive issues

Landfill - the e-waste is piled up and covered with other domestic waste and soil.

Incineration - the e-waste is burnt which produces toxic gases like dioxins and furans. The toxic smoke released into the atmosphere pollutes the air.

Reuse - the electronic equipment goes for slight modification or may be used as such. About 3% -5% of the computers is reused.

Recycling - the e-waste goes for recycling after all the possibility for reuse exhausted. The waste is used as raw material to other manufacturing industry.

E-WASTE DISPOSAL

ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS OF E-WASTE

E-waste contains toxic metals and hazardous chemicals Difficult to recycle Product obsolescence is quicker Unorganized sectors dealing the

wastes Waste handlers are unaware of

health effects Land filling of e-waste leads to

leaching of chemicals into water Burning of wastes causes air

pollution

EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF E-WASTE• Massive awareness to consumers • Setting up of more collection centres and collection points • Manufactures responsibility to provide good standard materials and

assurance for recycling • Fair Trade principles• More recycling units by providing subsidized financial supports • Proper training to Workers dealing recycling units • Ban on importing e-waste from other countries • Proper monitoring and evaluation system by the regulators in all levels• Sell or dump of e-waste only to government authorized recyclers• Green and energy efficient devices by the manufactures• Donate used electronics to charitable organizations• Recovery of valuable metals like Cu, Al, Au, and Ag through recycling• Maintenance of data on e-waste• Use of available best strategies • Establishing a training centre for training the manpower • Funding for research on recycling of e-waste

THANK YOU