SDG or Sustainable Development Goals is one of the most important activity by the United Nations to protect our planet. The 17 goals and 169 targets are the result of a project carried out by the UN and adopted by more than 200 countries.
What are the SDG?
The Sustainable Development Goals are the 17 goals are part of The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. These goals focus is not just on human lives but also on other living beings and the environment in general. All the member nations of the United Nations have accepted and adopted these Goals as part of their National Sustainable Development campaigns.
The 17 goals touch every aspect of our human lives either directly or indirectly. The Sustainable Development Goals have a deadline of 2030 set by the UN. The target is still a distant dream for most of the countries.
E-waste
E-waste or electronic/electrical waste is one of the newest waste management challenges in the new millennium. The post-pandemic world has seen a spurt in the usage of electronic devices because of remote working or remote learning opportunities.
The increase in usage of gadgets has subsequently seen a rise in the electronic waste generation across the world. General awareness amongst the masses on E-waste management is the need of the hour. RecyclEarth Foundation’s efforts in raising awareness among the people of North Karnataka is commendable. (https://recyclearth.in/initiatives)
Lifestyle changes and the rise in the disposable income in our country is also responsible for the rise in E-waste.
The role of E-waste management in achieving SDG (Sustainable Development Goals)
E-waste management can play a significant role in providing impetus in achieving some goals mentioned in the list of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030.
The SDGs directly and indirectly affected by formal E-waste management. They can be categorized as mentioned below:
- SDGs directly affected
- SDGs indirectly affected
SDGs directly affected
6 Clean Water and Sanitation:
Informal recycling uses acids to separate various substances found in an electronic device. The disposal of used acids is a major concern. The untreated acids are either disposed in water bodies or are thrown in remote pieces of land. Formal recycling uses eco-friendly ways of recycling E-waste and recovering materials.
15 Life on Land and 14 Life Below Water
The methods used by informal recyclers hurt living organisms both on land and in water. The most common methods used to recover substances from E-waste is incineration or acid wash separation.
Studies conducted to understand the impact of informal E-waste recycling shows elevated concentration of certain substances which cause harm to all living beings. Although e-waste occupies only 2%–5% of the total solid volume, it contributes more than 70% in terms of toxicity. Elements such as Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, As, Hg, Ni, and Cr (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-022-23700-7) contaminate our food chain by damaging soil and water resources.
The top soil layer and water bodies are directly affected by the disposal of E-waste. This results in the entire ecosystem including the local flora and fauna suffering from negative impacts of informal E-waste disposal. Indiscriminate disposal of acids on land increases the acidity of the soil resulting in loss of fertility. Mercury, for example, is an essential part of display screens, batteries, and electronic equipment switches. Soil microbes can convert mercury to methyl mercury in soils, which is a potential neurotoxic compound for humans as well as other animals. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352186421006970)
Apart from the above substances, other harmful substances include persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), etc. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8172693/). Landfilling of E-waste also poses a serious environmental hazard.
Adopting to eco-friendly practices such as shredding, separation by vibration and other scientific procedures helps in protecting our natural resources. Recycling also helps in reducing our dependency on mining operations for precious mineral resources.
13 Climate Action
The emission of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) is a major concern due to the incineration of E-waste. GHG include:
- Carbon dioxide
- Methane
- Nitrous Oxide
- Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs and HCFCs)
- Hydrofluorocarbons
- Perfluorocarbons (CF4,C2F6, etc) SF6, NF3
Water vapor is not added by human activities hence it is not considered by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) as a driver of Climate Change.
SDGs indirectly affected
SDGs indirectly affected by E-waste management
3 Good Health And Well Being
SDG 3 is a direct consequence if SDG 6, 13, 14 & 15 are taken care of. Formal eco-friendly recycling reduces pollution by a considerable extent. Encouraging formal E-waste recycling reduces the damage done to water bodies and land parcels. They act as our chief resources for food and water, essential for the sustenance of living beings.
8 Decent Work and Economic Growth & 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
Recycling promotes Circular Economy which in turn encourages responsible consumption and production. E-waste recycling is one of the sunrise sectors of Bharat. The sector has brought forward many job opportunities resulting in decent work opportunities and growth. Our country has a few large scale recyclers such as Cerebra, Attero, NAMO, EcoReco among others who have created a lot of job opportunities in the E-waste recycling sector.
Government and client policies have made manufacturers adapt sustainable sourcing and production practices. Manufacturers are also looking at understanding and exploring measures to reduce their carbon footprint. A lot of startups and tech-savvy companies are constantly seeking measures to streamline their supply chain operations. Supply-chain operations produce a significant chunk of carbon emissions of a manufacturing enterprise.
The economical importance of recycling for a country such as India is the reduction of imports of certain natural resources. Although we have recently found large deposits of Lithium and Rare earth minerals, the operationalization and commercialization of the mines will take some time.
Large scale E-waste recycling also reduces input costs of manufacturing new electronic devices. A report cites that one recycler in China already produces more cobalt (by recycling) than what the country mines in one year. Recycled metals are also 2 to 10 times more energy-efficient than metals smelted from virgin ore. (https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/waste/recycling-of-e-waste-in-india-and-its-potential-64034)
It is of paramount importance to raise awareness about responsible consumption and production patterns among the general masses.
11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
The most important role in making cities and communities sustainable is by Urban Municipal bodies. They can tie up with organizations that focus on E-waste collection and awareness. A city or community which has good E-waste management practices implemented can contribute positively towards a greener environment and also towards the economy of our nation.
E-waste management can become an integral part of a larger sustainability plan for communities. It is often overlooked by municipal bodies because of a variety of reasons. Two of the targets of Sustainable Cities and Communities goal are to provide;
- 11.5- By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the people with low income and people in vulnerable situations
- 11.7- By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities
The target 11.5 is achievable if people start focusing on promoting formal E-waste recycling practices by donating their E-waste to formal organizations. Discouraging informal recycling can help protect the local water sources.
Regular collection drives and setting up E-waste collection centers are examples of stepping stones for sustainable communities.
Apart from the aforementioned goals and targets, promoting intergovernmental cooperation/public-private partnerships in setting up economical and eco-friendly recycling infrastructure can be helpful as well.
These are some of the pointers that we have kept forward, feel free to provide your feedback and ideas in the comment section. We would be looking forward to seeing some delightful conversations in the comments section.
The second part of this blog would highlight on initiatives and practices that can support and promote formal recycling.