E- Waste

E- Waste

E-WASTE Categories Problems Growth Source of E-Waste Hazards Existing Legislation Need for Legal Framework CONCLUSION REFERENCES

Electronic waste or e-waste is any broken or unwanted electrical or electronic appliance. E-waste includes computers, entertainment electronics, mobile phones and other items that have been discarded by their original users.

Large household appliances Small household appliances IT and telecommunications equipment Consumer equipment Lighting equipment Electrical and electronic tools Toys, leisure and sports equipment Medical Monitoring and control instruments Automatic dispensers

E-waste is the most rapidly growing waste problem in the world. It is a crisis of not quantity alone but also a crisis born from toxics ingredients, posing a threat to the occupational health as well as the environment. Rapid technology change, low initial cost, high obsolescence rate have resulted in a fast growing problem around the globe. Legal framework, proper collection system missing. Imports regularly coming to the recycling markets. Inhuman working conditions for recycling.

IT and telecom are two fastest growing industries in the country. India, by 2008, has achieved a PC penetration of 65 per 1,000 . At present, India has 15 million computers. The target being 75 million computers by 2010. Over 2 million old PCs ready for disposal in India. Life of a computer reduced from 7 years to 3-5 years.

India is now growing at about 10 million new mobile users every month, and that pace of growth will continue. The mobile subscriber base in India rose by 50%, or more than 130 mln, to 391.8 mln. Memory devices, MP3 players, iPods etc. are the newer additions. Preliminary estimates suggest that total WEEE generation in India is approximately 1,46,000 tonnes per year.

Three categories of WEEE account for almost 90% of the generation: Large Household appliances:

42.1%

Information and communications: 33.9% technology equipment Consumer Electronics:

13.7%

Imports. Govt., public and private sector discards (over 70%) PC retailers, manufacturers. Secondary market of old PCs. Individual Households.

Average PC of approx. 31.5 kg wt. contains:

7.24 kg- Plastics 1.98 kg- Lead 0.693g - Mercury 0.4095g Arsenic 2.961g Cadmium 1.98g Chromium 9.92g - Barium

Two million Obsolete PCs would mean:        

14,427,000 kg 3,962,700 kg 1,386 kg 819 kg 5,922 kg 3,969 kg 19,845 kg 9,891 kg

Existing Legislation Trans boundary movement of E waste covered under the Basel convention. India ratified the convention in 1992. Waste listed in list A and list B which prohibits such movements. Waste importers exploit such gaps as listed in the convention. Allowed to import against a license.

Covered under the “Hazardous Waste Amended Rules, 2003” in List A and B of Schedule 3. The Rule is inadequate to handle generation, transportation and disposal of this complex waste. Regulators unable to monitor and regulate the informal sector.

Ban on total imports of E waste. Domestic legal framework to address the gaps in import of E Waste. Need to address safe disposal of domestic waste. Tie recycling in with take-back product responsibility.

The Framework should address the issue of E waste imports for reuse and recycling. Attract investment in this sector. Link up activities of informal sector with formal sector. Incorporate precautionary principles and polluter pays.

http://www.e-waste.in www.toxicslink.org http://ewasteguide.info http://images.google.co.in