E-waste management

Abstract

E-waste represents discarded electronics covering mobile phones and IT products. The rapid advancement in technology and higher disposable income has lead to higher discard rate of electronic products, generating higher than ever e-waste. The informal processing of electronic waste particularly in developing countries like india has led to environmental pollution and has adversely affected the health of workers working in such industry or even communities in and around such areas where the unorganized extraction process takes place.The issue of e-waste starts from the consumer of electronics itself as they are the ones who disclose these items without understanding the adverse effect. Taking an example of CRT (Cathode ray tubes) which were extensively used in Television production are categorized as “hazardous household waste” by United states environmental protection agency.The computer equipment accounts for 65% of the e-waste followed by telecommunication equipments and then medical equipments.The E-waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011 is the first documented rule to support environment friendly electronic waste recycling which largely govern unorganized sector where the stakeholders use crude methods of extraction which directly impacts the environment and workers involved in it. The rule also emphasized on guidance to set up a collection centre, dismantling and recycling. The rule also introduced the concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).