E-Waste

Why is in news? PM Modi calls for creating awareness about proper disposal of Electronic-Waste to save environment

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stressed on the need to dispose of E-Wasteproperly, as it can harm the environment.

Addressing the nation through the 97th episode of his Mann Ki Baat programme on All India Radio, he observed that today's latest devices are the future's E-Waste.

He pointed out that E-Waste can become a great force in the Circular Economy of recycling and reusing. He stressed that if E-Waste is not disposed off properly, it can harm the environment.

A United Nations report mentioned that 50 million tonnes of E-Waste are thrown every year. He told listeners that about 17 types of Precious Metals can be extracted from this E-Waste through different processes. This includes Gold, Silver, Copper and Nickel.

The Prime Minister said that utilising E-Waste is no less than making 'Kachre Ko Kanchan'.

He said, there is no dearth of start-ups that are doing innovative work in this direction. At present, around 500 E-Waste Recyclers are associated with this sector and many new entrepreneurs are also being associated with it. This sector has also given direct employment to thousands of people.

He gave the example of E-Parisaraa of Bengaluru which is engaged in one such effort. It has developed indigenous technology for extracting precious metals from Printed Circuit Boards.

The Prime Minister also made note of Ecoreco in Mumbai which has developed a system to collect E-Waste through a Mobile App.

AtteroRecycling of Roorkee, Uttarakhand has obtained many patents in this field worldwide. It has also earned a lot of awards by preparing its own E-Waste Recycling Technology.

Tonnes of E-Waste is being collected in Bhopal through a Mobile App and the Website 'Kabadiwala'.

Prime Minister lauded these initiatives saying all these are helping to make India a Global Recycling Hub. He also stressed the need for awareness among people about safe, useful methods of disposal of E-Waste. At present, only 15 to 17 per cent of E-Waste is recycled every year.

E- Waste:

E-waste or electronic waste is created when an electronic product is discarded after the end of its useful life. The rapid expansion of technology and the consumption driven society results in the creation of a very large amount of e-waste.

Laws to manage e-waste have been in place in India since 2011, mandating that only authorised dismantlers and recyclers collect e-waste. E-waste (Management) Rules, 2016 was enacted in 2017.

India’s first e-waste clinic for segregating, processing and disposal of waste from household and commercial units has been set-up in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

Originally, the Basel Convention (1992) did not mention e-waste but later it addressed the issues of e-waste in 2006 (COP8).

The Nairobi Declaration was adopted at COP9 of the Basel Convention on the Control of the Trans-boundary Movement of Hazardous Waste. It aimed at creating innovative solutions for the environmentally sound management of electronic wastes.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), India generated more than 10 lakh tonnes of e-waste in 2019-20, an increase from 7 lakh tonnes in 2017-18. Against this, the e-waste dismantling capacity has not been increased from 82 lakh tonnes since 2017-18.

In 2018, the Ministry of Environment had told the tribunal that 95% of e-waste in India is recycled by the informal sector and scrap dealers unscientifically dispose of it by burning or dissolving it in acids