Our homes throw up gadgets which either gather dust or land up with the scrap dealer. But that is where the problem starts, as some components of such waste contain materials which are extremely hazardous in nature
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi, e-waste comprises wastes generated from used electronic devices and household appliances which are not fit for their original intended use and are destined for recovery, recycling or disposal. Such wastes encompass a wide range of electrical and electronic devices such as computers, cellular phones, personal stereos, including large household appliances such as refrigerators, air conditioners etc.
All our homes throw up these gadgets, which either gather dust or land up with the scrap dealer. That’s where the problem begins, because some of the components of e-waste contain materials such as lead, cadmium, mercury, polychlorinated bi-phenyls, etched chemicals and brominated flame retardants which are hazardous in nature. Thus, the e-waste should be handled in an eco-friendly manner to prevent the hazardous material from polluting the environment and causing harm in general. The Mayapuri radiation leak case in Delhi in early 2010 is an example for the need of safe disposal and governing regulations. The incident cost a person’s life due to his exposure to Cobalt-60 at the Mayapuri scrapyard in West Delhi.
According to the ‘e-waste in India’ report by the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, e-waste from old computers and allied gadgets would jump by 500 per cent in India by 2020. In addition, e-waste from discarded mobile phones would be about seven times higher than the 2007 levels and 18 times higher by 2020. This rapid generation of e-waste is the flip side of technological advancement and ever increasing obsolescence rate of consumer electronics and electrical items. It has added to the scale of the problem whose proportions require a measured response from the Government. Responding to the need, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests notified the E-waste Management and Handling Rules that came into force on May 1, 2012. The rules were notified in advance and provided a lead-time of one year to all stakeholders to put systems in place for an effective compliance of the rules. The E-waste Management and Handling Rules, 2011, puts the onus of e-waste management on manufacturers or the brands through the established principle of Extended Producer Responsibility.
However, such regulations without public awareness would be ineffective. The Government needs to further sharpen its approach and encourage initiatives from various quarters such as resident welfare associations, and other bodies to help promote the cause. This could be in the form of updating the list of Government approved e-waste buyers and provide incentives to those who participate in responsible disposal of the same. The Government has also drawn detailed regulations for e-waste buyers according to which, e-wastes cannot not be given to unauthorised vendors and buyers. The respective pollution control boards in different States would authorise agencies to collect e-waste from generators. The dealers should have valid ‘air consent’, ‘water consent’ and hazardous waste authorisation. This authorisation is given based on the competency of the recycler, infrastructure and other factors as decided by the regulatory authorities, as a result many private companies in India specialise in handling and disposing e-waste in an environment-friendly manner.
With the Union Government making it mandatory to segregate electronic waste, some State Governments have taken the lead and set an example in this regard. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, for instance, is formulating a proper plan for its segregation and collection. The city generates more than 3,500 metric tonnes of waste daily and, according to the Society for Environment Protection, every household has an estimated 8-10 kg of potential e-waste. The civic body is also mulling roping in scrap dealers of the city who receive e-waste in large quantities on a daily basis.
The registration of scrap dealers can be done as e-waste collectors under E-waste Management and Handling Rules, 2011. However, the major challenge would be to create awareness amongst the scrap dealers in safe handling and applying the regulatory framework to their operations. This effort may in fact prove to be much more tough than applying regulations for the manufacturers and generating awareness for customers. Due to the ambiguity between various types of scrap and waste material at the level of scrap dealers, all the waste is collected and handled in a similar fashion.
This needs to end. But such a task is not possible just with the participation of the private sector; the Government’s role is crucial too. For instance, the Government should grade the scrap dealers as per their operating standards, and accordingly authorise and permit them to handle various grades of scrap. To build the capacity of the dealers, the Government must organise compulsory workshops and training sessions, and conduct quality audits in order to ensure effective compliance to the regulatory framework.