India Among the Top Five Countries in E-waste Generation

At about 2-mt India continues to be annually generating more electronic-waste (e-waste) vis-à-vis China, USA, Japan and Germany, according to a study on ‘Electricals & Electronics Manufacturing in India,’ conducted by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM)-NEC. By the end of 2018, India’s e-waste production is likely to touch 3-mt.

E-waste typically includes discarded computer monitors, motherboards, Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT), Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), mobile phones & chargers, compact discs, headphones, white goods such as Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)/Plasma televisions, air conditioners, refrigerators etc. Computer equipment accounts for almost 70% of e-waste material, followed by telecommunication equipment (12%), electrical equipment (8%) and medical equipment (7%). Other equipment, including household e-scrap, accounts for the remaining 4%.

Merely 5% of the total e-waste gets recycled in the country due to poor infrastructure, legislation and framework, causing a waste of diminishing natural resources, irreparable damage to the environment and to the health of the people working in industry. Over 95% of e-waste generated is managed by the unorganised sector. High and prolonged exposure to chemicals/ pollutants emitted during unsafe e-waste recycling leads to damage of nervous systems, blood systems, kidneys and brain development, respiratory disorders, skin disorders, bronchitis, lung cancer, heart, liver, and spleen damage.

Maharashtra contributes the largest e-waste (19.8% of total), but recycles only about 47,810-tpa, whereas Tamil Nadu (13%) recycles about 52,427-tpa and Uttar Pradesh (10.1%) about 86,130-tpa. West Bengal (9.8%), Delhi (9.5%), Karnataka (8.9%), Gujarat (8.8%) and Madhya Pradesh (7.6), are some of the other States generating large volumes of e-waste.

Dismal e-waste scenario

20% recycled globally

The global volume of e-waste generated is expected to reach 52.2-mt or 6.8-kg per capita by 2021 from 44.7-mt in 2016. Out of the total e-waste produced in 2016, only 20% (8.9-mt) was collected properly and recycled, while there is no record of the remaining e-waste. The total value of all raw materials present in e-waste is estimated at approximately US$61.05-bn in 2016, which is more than the GDP of most countries in the world, pointed out the joint study.