Creating awareness is the key to achieving e-waste management objectives. AP Singh and Sameer Jain delve into the details

India ranks 3rd in terms of producer of e-waste after China and the United States of America. According to a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report for FY: 2019-2020, India generated 1,014,961.2 tonnes of e-waste for 21 types of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE).

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and KPMG joint study on Electronic Waste Management in India released on September 2017 identified that computer equipment accounts for almost 70 per cent of e-waste, followed by telecommunication equipment phones (12 per cent), electrical equipment (8 per cent), and medical equipment (7 per cent) with remaining from household e-waste.

Health and Environmental Challenges

E-waste poses a huge risk to humans, animals, and the environment. The presence of heavy metals and highly toxic substances such as mercury, lead, beryllium, and cadmium pose a significant threat to the environment even in minute quantities.

E-waste releases harmful chemicals, such as lead, on burning, which adversely impacts human blood, kidney and the peripheral nervous system (Health). When it is thrown into landfills, the chemicals seep into the air and groundwater affecting both land and sea animals (Environment). Decomposing e-waste is an expensive process and only a few developed countries can afford to do so. These require special treatment and cannot be dumped in landfill sites.

E-waste recyclers in India is predominantly an informal sector activity (small-scale, informal sector buyers often known as ‘kabadiwalas, and they further sort and sell these as input material to artisanal or industrial processors). There are thousands of poor households making a living from scavenging materials from waste dumps. 

Despite the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) releasing the E-waste (Management) Rules in 2016 and following it up with upgrades, lack of investment, infrastructure, and consumer awareness, there are still roadblocks to the effective handling of the waste.

The Way Forward

In addressing the e-waste hazard, there is an urgent need to move from a Linear & Reuse economy to a Circular economy. The linear economy follows the cycle as raw material, production, use and then to non-recyclable waste and the Reuse economy follows raw material, production, use, production and then to non-recyclable waste, while the Circular economy follows raw material, production, use, production and then to recycle waste. The linear economy focuses on profitability, irrespective of the product life cycle, whereas the Circular economy targets sustainability.

A sound market-based incentive focusing on stakeholders encourages both demand and supply-side factors to voluntarily adopt e-waste recycling. Incentives could be in the form of tax concessions or rebates, to ensure compliance across the electrical and electronics industry. 

Stakeholder collaboration 

While producers are responsible for e-waste management (EPR), consumers, retailers, state governments, municipalities, NGOs, CSOs, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), local collection agencies and others need to play an appropriate role in collection, facilitation, and creation of infrastructure to make e-waste management a success. Digitally connecting stakeholders will open opportunities for industry collaborations and participation by stakeholders will result in implementing robust waste segregation – collection – disposal best practices.

Awareness is the Key

NGOs and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) need to be provided with funding and incentives to create information campaigns, capacity building, and awareness among key stakeholders including end consumers by educating them on their role in e-waste management.

This can be achieved by NGOs, Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and government agencies by targeting resident welfare associations (RWAs), primary and secondary schools and colleges, etc. The government needs to conduct a multi-stakeholder consultation with the public sector, formal and informal e-waste processing sectors, civil societies, and academics to develop an e-waste management system and promote information, education, and communication activities in schools, colleges, and industry.

Additionally, “E-waste awareness champions” need to be instituted on educational campuses to engage and spread the key messages in e-waste management. Awareness campaigns for educational institutions need to include E-waste films, AV guides, posters and pamphlets disseminated.

Development of course curricula for schools with emphasis on e-waste management and arranging a visit to a nearby e-waste recycling facility will help E-waste awareness champions with a better and first-hand understanding of the end-to-end e-waste management process.

Keeping this objective in mind, Lions Clubs International in partnership with Primus Partners has launched the world’s largest e-waste awareness and collection campaign “Dump or Donate''.

This initiative shall be actioned by nearly 3 lakh volunteers through approximately 10000 Lions Clubs across every nook and corner of this country. Lions Clubs' basis the success plans to make this an annual event and consider taking it globally as well.

(AP Singh is the International Third Vice President of Lions Clubs International and Sameer Jain is the Managing Director of Primus Partners)