Any unusable electronic or electrical equipment/components/parts/spares is E-waste. Technological evolution makes electronic and electrical products outdated within a few years of their launch. For example, mobile phones are outdated every 2-3 years.
E-waste can be reused, refurbished or recycled based on the condition of the material.
The USA, China and India occupy the top 3 positions as the largest generators of E-waste in the world.
Source: Statista
How is E-waste currently being disposed?
E-waste is either sent to the landfills or is purchased by scrap merchants for salvaging some metals out of it.
Let’s understand the harm both these methods cause.
Landfills in themselves are dangerous to the people working and living in and around the landfills. Burning of the waste or by certain elements coming in contact with the environment results in the release of harmful gases and compounds. The area around the landfills also starts losing its fertility and becomes barren in due course of time.
Scrap merchants salvage precious metals from E-waste in a highly informal and dangerous way. The waste is subjected to acid bath or burning for salvaging the precious metals.
Why proper E-waste disposal is the need of the hour?
Any electronic device that is in its end-of-life stage can either be exchanged or sold to second hand buyers. Obsolete electronic and electrical products bought by scrap merchants end up in a heap along with other non-E-waste items in the yard of the merchant.
Any electronic or electrical device has about 25 elements present in various quantities in them. Improper disposal of E-waste would lead to these elements coming in contact with the environment resulting in undesirable outcomes.
Health hazards
Most of the elements present in these devices have the tendency of having long lasting and potentially fatal side-effects. Improper E-waste disposal results in these health issues as mentioned below:
- Reproductive issues
- Developmental problems
- Interference with regulatory hormones
- Damage to the nervous system
- Kidney damage
- Cancer
- Chronic beryllium disease
- Skin ailments
- Asthmatic bronchitis
- DNA damage
- Muscle weakness
- Endocrine system disruption
Since burning and acid washing are improper ways of disposing of E-waste. Workers desperate for work carry out these activities and are willing to put themselves in harm’s way. These workers regularly complain about respiratory problems and a significant number of workers die due to the same problems.
Proper disposal would not only help the environment but also would reduce the harmful impact E-waste has on the lives of numerous humans. E-waste recycling is an emerging industry in India and is one of the most important industries going by the latest trends.
The impact of Covid-19
The onset of Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift towards greater dependence on electrical and electronic gadgets for communication than the pre-Covid era. Work from home culture will help the growth of electronic appliances and equipment.
According to IBEF, Indian appliance and consumer electronics market can reach reach a figure of INR 1.48 lakh crore by 2025. It means E-waste generation will reach an unprecedented level. If proper steps are not taken, E-waste can become one of the major pollutants.
It is here, organizations such as RecyclEarth Foundation step up as Producer Responsibility Organization in helping us fight in our attempt to reduce the generation of plastic and E-waste by encouraging us to reuse what we can and donating the unusable E-waste and plastic waste to recyclers to recycle.
Read more: The dangers of landfilll. How can we Reduce, Reuse, Recycle?