Plastic waste debate has held the centre stage of all countries of the world. A lot has been written on the ways to recycle or destroy it. Several Countries and many States in our Country have banned use of plastics. The Maharashtra government on March 23, 2018, banned the manufacture, usage, sale, transport, distribution, wholesale, retail sale, storage and import of plastic bags, disposable plastic products and thermocol. Be that as it may, have we ever wondered what happens to the electronic waste that we throw away? Informal processing of e-waste leads to adverse human health effects and environmental pollution. Electronic scrap components, such as CPUs, contain potentially harmful elements such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, or brominated flame retardants. Recycling and disposal of e-waste involves significant risk to health of workers and communities and great care must be taken to avoid unsafe exposure in recycling operations and leaking of materials such as heavy metals from landfills and incinerator ashes. Suffice to say many of these elements are carcinogenic.
Electronic waste or e-waste describes discarded electrical or electronic devices such as refrigerators, washing machines, computers, printers, televisions, mobiles and IPod etc. Any used electronics, resale, salvage, recycling, or disposal are also considered e-waste and is easily the most rapidly growing waste problem in the world. In a new E-waste report released by the United Nations University, global electronic waste has reached record high levels. 41.8 million tons of e-waste was generated just four years back and is growing at alarming rates and expected to touch 50 million tons in 2018, fuelling concerns about the growing risks to public health, resource conservation and the environment. This is equivalent to throwing out 800 laptops every single second. Of total e-waste, approximately one quarter, or 9.3 million tonnes, is made up of personal digital devices such as computers, displays, smartphones, tablets and TVs. Household appliances as well as heating and cooling equipment account for the remainder. India is the fifth largest e-waste producer at two million tonnes each year, in the world where the government, public sector and private sector companies generate nearly 75% of electronic waste, with the contribution of individual household being only 16%. Over 95% of the e-waste is treated and processed in the majority of urban slums of the country, where untrained workers carry out dangerous procedures without personal protective equipment. Not out of place, if the government is expected to proactively control e-waste and aid recycling.
Developed World has devious ways of protecting themselves. A lot of e-waste is shipped to Asia or Africa for “recycling”. This may sound good, but in fact it’s just an easy and cheap way to get rid of the enormous amounts of e-waste generated. A lot of it is simply burned. The soil of the Chinese e-waste site “Guiyu” records some of the world’s highest concentrations of dioxins and heavy metals. Water contained lead 2,400 times higher than safe levels. Many children work here. A vicious cycle is then sustained almost as a matter of fact. Villagers cannot grow their own food because the soil is heavily polluted. To survive, they must work in the recycling industry further degrading their health and surrounding environment resulting in birth defects, damage to central and peripheral nervous systems, distorted blood composition, damaged lungs, livers, and kidneys; and death. Children working in the recycling yards are at much higher risk for damaging their health than adults.
Are we creating a monster from the so-called innovative contraptions, we seem to be making for which, the human spirit is often invoked? Mary Shelly in her novel, “The Modern Prometheus”, a good 150 years back, told the story of a Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a grotesque, sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Are we bringing her story to life in the 21st century? Unfortunately, the industrial revolution, metamorphosed into an electronic revolution, that has given us the modern world and comforts, has also given us the modern Frankenstein.
E-waste isn’t just an end-of-life issue. It is not as simple as throwing away the waste as soon as the expiry date is over. For a start, manufacturers must provide take-back programs, which can move a greater number of products into proper recycling or re-use programs. Criteria for extended product life make it easier for the product to be used longer and delay their entry into the waste stream.
Education and awareness is as important as the need for disposing off e-waste. Citizens need to play a very important role. The State must facilitate setting up recycling facilities both in the public and private domain. Once the collection reaches the recycling facility, the process is extremely complicated. Most electronic waste goes through a recycling system, which not only recycles 95-98%, by weight, of all e-waste passed through it, but ensures that any data left on hard drives and memories are thoroughly destroyed too. Then batteries and copper is extracted. Most of the items are shredded into very small pieces. The small debris is shaken to ensure that it is evenly spread out on the conveyor belt, before it gets broken down even more. The dust extracted is disposed of, in an environmentally friendly way. Using magnets, steel and iron are removed from the debris. Aluminium, copper and brass are separated from the non-metallic content. Water is used to separate plastic from the glass content. Once divided, all raw materials can be resold. A small ray of hope However, is for the new generation TCO Certified electronics gadgets, launched in 2016, manufacturers need to declare the amount of recycled content in their certified products.
Of the regions included in the UNU analysis, Asia generated the most e-waste in 2014, with 16 million tonnes, followed by the Americas at 11.7 and Europe with 11.6 million tonnes respectively. With rapidly changing technologies and constant consumer demand for the latest devices, the rise in e-waste looks set to continue. Lowering the amount of electronics entering the waste stream and improving end of life handling are essential for building a more circular economy, where waste is reduced, resources are conserved and are fed back into the supply chain for new products. Buyers also have an important role to play by choosing products that are less hazardous and are designed for safer recycling.
Demand of electronics products in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 41% by 2020 to reach 400 billion $ according to a joint study done by ASSOCHAM and NEC. Electronics Industry valued at 1.7 trillion $ is the largest and fastest growing industry in the world. With such staggering numbers, e-waste that is generated, can consume and maim an entire generation if not addressed adequately. E-waste trade and recycling alliances provide employment to many groups of people in India. Around 25,000 workers including children are involved in crude dismantling units in Delhi alone where 10,000 to 20,000 tonnes of e-waste is handled every year by bare hands. This must stop.
Nothing is bleak before the ingenuity of human beings. New age alchemists can spin off new employment opportunities through reverse logistics, processing e-waste. More and more companies are making wealth from waste and, in the process, saving the environment from devastation. The supply chains created here have mind blowing opportunities. However, the real mantra “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” applies for e-waste. Reduce the generation of e-waste through smart handling and good maintenance. Reuse still functioning electronic equipment by donating to the needy. Recycle those products that cannot be repaired. It’s time to act now, for both the citizens and the government, lest we need to create new cemetery cities to bury our e-waste. That would be a disaster of colossal proportions.