This post highlights the 3 great things about E-waste recycling.
1. E-waste recycling – a Nation building industry
Almost all electronic equipment contain gold. Gold is a crucial component used in the manufacture of various electrical and electronic gadgets. It is resistant to most of the corrosive acids. Gold is highly malleable and ductile. Owing to these properties, despite the high cost involved, gold is still used in assembling electronic equipment. The primary usage of the yellow metal is as mentioned below:
- Soldering material and coatings
- Wire bonding
- Connectors
- Point of contacts
- Hybrid circuit boards
- Sputter coating
Any electronic or electrical equipment is a treasure trove of precious and semi precious elements. These elements if salvaged and recycled would help our nation in a big way. It is cost effective and environmentally friendly to recycle. Recycling one ton of computers yields better gold than mining one ton of rock.
Encouraging E-waste recycling across our nation, it can be a good source of bringing back the materials into the economy. The stakeholders in the E-waste recycling are ambassadors of the concept of Circular economy.
In FY19-20, India manufactured mobile phones worth about INR 2,14,000 crore. As per the E-waste (Management) Rules, 2016, it is mandatory for E&E equipment manufacturers to get back a certain percentage of the equipment they have sold in every financial year once they reach the end of life period.
The non plastic items used in the manufacture of the equipment, have higher recycling cycles without loss in quality. If the collection and recycling of WEEE (waste electronic and electrical equipment) gradually increases in the country, our dependence on certain imports like gold, Tungsten, Lithium, Cobalt etc. China is the leading exporter of Tungsten and Lithium to the world. Cobalt is heavily exported by Democratic Republic of Congo.
2. Employment opportunities in India
Currently, India is the third highest producer of E-waste in the world. The per capita E-waste generation is quite low at 2.4kg as compared to the global average of 7.3kg in 2019. However, formal recycling of E-waste is low. Informal scrap merchants or kabaddiwaala/bhangarwaala dominate the recycling industry.
The Government of India has provided a lot of impetus to the E-waste recycling sector. After the introduction of E-waste (Management) Rules, 2016; the fight to reduce the damage done by E-waste has gathered pace. An entire E-waste recycling ecosystem is budding in India. The stakeholders in this ecosystem like Recyclers, Dismantlers, Producer Responsibility Organizations have come up and are providing a host of employment opportunities.
The new millennium has seen several E-waste recyclers coming up in various part of the country. The enormous amount of E-waste generation in the country is an opportunity for many E-waste recyclers to start their business. The major challenge that the recyclers face is the collection of E-waste and the lack of awareness amongst masses. It is here, organizations like RecyclEarth Foundation step up and fill the void by organizing awareness programs amongst the masses.
A 2018 study by ASSOCHAM (Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry in India) states that more than 6,00,000 people work in formal and informal recycling and allied units. This number is bound to go up in the next 3-5 years.
There is an opportunity to formalize the informal E-waste recycling sector, this is a structural reform which would need participation from Government, industry bigwigs and the common citizens of India.
3. An all round healthy environment
Recycling E-waste helps in protecting living beings from getting exposed to life threatening diseases and ailments. E-waste if stored in homes and offices is not harmful. Only after coming in contact with certain acids or incineration under unsafe conditions does E-waste turn hazardous. Subjecting E-waste to dump-yards or landfills is dangerous, WEEE react with air and moisture resulting in the formation of Leachates.
Promoting formal E-waste recycling in the country helps reduce improper disposal of E-waste which is prevalent in many forms in the country. Items made out of recycled materials use less energy, water and other resources as well.
Recycling helps in reduced processing of toxic materials thereby resulting in water bodies being safe from toxic pollution.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has taken several steps to fight the dangers of E-waste. CPCB keeps regular tabs on the progress done by the various State Pollution Control Boards.
And in the end it is the general masses that have to contribute and help authorities, corporates and NGOs to improve our environment.
These are the 3 great things about E-waste, let us know what you think are the great things about E-waste recycling in the comments section.