Recycling of e-waste

The use of electronic equipment has increased dramatically in India due to the rapid expansion of the IT and communications industries. Because of the increased concern over e-waste, there is a greater emphasis on recycling and better e-waste management. After the United States and China, India is the world’s largest producer of e-waste, producing 3.23 million tonnes per year.

India is currently 5th largest economy and by 2030 it will become the third largest economy. India has enormous potential for the recycling of e-waste. With its rapidly growing economy, increasing consumption of electronic devices, and a large population, the country generates a substantial amount of electronic waste. Air pollution is a big problem in India; nine out of the ten most polluted cities in the world are in India.

People keep most of the obsolete electronic equipment at home because they don’t know how to dispose of it properly. Even while the problem of ever-increasing e-waste is complex, it gives great value because these e-wastes are a rich source of valuable metals that can be recovered and reincorporated into the production process.

E-waste includes discarded electronic devices such as computers, mobile phones, televisions, and other electronic appliances. India is extremely dependent on the import of lithium and rare earth, the key components used in many electronic devices and various industrial applications, including medical technology, aerospace and defence.

Recycling e-waste is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, electronic devices contain hazardous materials like lead, mercury, cadmium, and other toxic substances that can pose significant environmental and health risks if not properly managed. Recycling e-waste helps prevent the release of these hazardous materials into the environment and reduces the potential harm they can cause.

Furthermore, recyclers in the informal sector use rudimentary recycling techniques that can release toxic pollutants into the surrounding environment. Many hazardous substances in e-waste are extremely dangerous to human health and the environment.

A report says, Dumping e-waste into landfills impacts surface and groundwater because harmful chemicals leach from landfills into surface water. Furthermore, toxic by-products of improper e-waste recycling will end up in sewers and city drains. These products can contaminate surface water if they enter local waterways.

In 2020-2021, India processed 3.4 lakh tonnes of e-waste. According to CPCB, the generation of plastic waste per year is increasing by 3%, and the generation of e-waste is even higher, with waste produced totalling 7.1 lakh tonnes in 2018-19 and 10.14 lakh tonnes in 2019-20. Every year, there is a 31% increase.

There are only 468 authorised recyclers and 2,808 collection points in 22 states. The capacity of 468 recyclers is 13 lakh tonnes, which is insufficient to meet India’s e-waste generation.