This document provides an overview of e-waste (electronic waste), including: - E-waste is a growing problem globally and in India due to rapid changes in technology. - Informal recycling of e-waste dominates in India and poses major health and environmental hazards due to unsafe practices and exposure to toxic materials. - International agreements and national regulations in India have been established to better manage e-waste, but challenges remain around enforcement and formalization of the recycling industry.

1. E-waste
DR. RAGHAVENDRA HUCHCHANNAVAR
JR, Dept. of Community Medicine
PGIMS, Rohtak.

2. Contents
• Introduction
• Problem statement
• Flow of e-waste
• Main issues in e-waste
• Health hazards
• Management
• Regulatory frameworks – International and national
• Future challenges and opportunities
• References

3. Introduction
• Unwanted, obsolete or unusable electronic and electrical
products are commonly referred to as ‘electronic waste, e-
waste, e-scrap, or as Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipment (WEEE)
• Rapid changes in technology, changes in media, falling prices
of electronic gadgets, and developing new electronics and
discarding old ones, lead to an ever increasing load of e-waste.

4. Introduction
• No standard definition of e-waste.
• The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD) defines e-waste as
– Any appliance using an electric power supply that has
reached its end-of-life.
• The most widely accepted definition of e-waste is as per
European Commission Directive
– “Electrical or electronic equipment, which is waste
including all components, subassemblies and consumables,
which are part of the product at the time of discarding”.

5. Introduction
• Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India:
– “E-waste comprises of wastes generated from used
electronic/electrical devices and house hold appliances
which are not fit for their original intended use and are
destined for recovery, recycling or disposal”.

6. Life cycle of e-waste

7. Problem statement
• It is estimated that global (2009) e-waste generation is growing
by about 40 million tonnes a year. (UN)
• Estimated e-waste generation by India (2012) – 8 lakh tonnes
(CPCB)
• 10 States/UT contribute to 70% of the total e-waste generated
in the country
• While 65 cities generate more than 60% of the total e-waste in
India

8. Top 10 States/UT and Cities that
generate e-waste
Maharashtra Mumbai
Tamil Nadu New Delhi
Andhra Pradesh Bangalore
Uttar Pradesh Chennai
West Bengal Kolkata
Delhi Ahmedabad
Karnataka Hyderabad
Gujarat Pune
Madhya Pradesh Surat
Punjab Nagpur

9. The European Commission Directive classifies e-waste
into 10 categories
• Large household
appliances
• Small household
appliances
• IT and
telecommunications
equipment
• Consumer equipment
• Lighting equipment
• Electrical and electronic
tools
• Toys, leisure and sports
equipment
• Medical devices
• Monitoring & control
instruments
• Automatic dispensers

10. E-waste categories
• These can be categorized into three main categories, viz.,
• Large household
appliances
– Refrigerators
– Freezers
– Microwaves
– Electric heating
appliances
– Electric
radiators
– Conditioning
equipment etc
• Information and
communications
technology
equipments
– Computers
– Laptops
– Computer
accessories
– Printers
– Copying
equipment etc
• Consumer
electronics
– Toasters
– Coffee
machines
– Clocks
– Watches
– Hair dryer
– Shavers etc

11. Contribution to e-waste
42.00%
33.90%
13.70%
10.40%
PERCENTAGE
Large household
appliances
IT and communication
Consumer electronics
Others
Central Pollution Control Board, 2008

12. Flow of e-waste
• The incentives for e-waste movement, both legally and
illegally, are enormous.
• A study commissioned by the US Environmental Protection
Agency revealed that it was 10 times cheaper to export e-waste
to Asia than it was to process in the United States.
• 50-80% of e-waste collected for recycling in developed
countries each year is being exported.
• E-waste recycling hotspots have been identified in Asian
countries, such as China, India, and Pakistan, and in some
African countries, such as Ghana and Nigeria.

13. Flow of e-waste

15. E-waste flow within India

16. Main issues
• High volume of e-waste is generated due to the rapid
obsolescence of gadgets combined with the high demand for
new technology.
• Poor design and complexity – Toxic materials are attached to
non-toxic materials, which makes separation of materials for
reclamation difficult.
• Labour issues – include occupational exposures, informal
sector domination causing health and environmental problems,
lack of labour standards and rights.
• Lack of regulation – either lack adequate regulations or lack
effective enforcement of e-waste regulations

17. Main issues
• Informal e-waste recycling dominates the industry in India
• In the informal e-waste recycling sector an employer-
employee relationship is often absent.
• Generally employ the poor, who have little or no formal
training and are marginalized population.
• Most work is carried out with bare hands, without the use of
masks, cleaning, crushing or heating the parts
• Workers sit in poorly ventilated rooms with inadequate
lighting and no clean drinking water or toilet facility

18. Main issues
• Most people involved in informal recycling are the urban poor
with low literacy levels, and hence have very little awareness
regarding the hazards of e-waste and the recycling processes.
• Women and children also constitute a significant proportion of
the workforce.
• Infants, due to their hand-to-mouth behaviour, are one of the
most vulnerable groups in areas where soil and dust is
contaminated with e-waste.

19. Main issues
• Child scavengers/ waste-pickers: are those who participate in
“manual sorting and picking of recyclable/reusable materials
from mixed wastes at legal and illegal landfills, dumpsites,
street bins and piles, transfer points, as well as waste collection
trucks”
• Their bodies, minds and judgement are still developing, even
in their late teens, their reproductive systems and brain
functions are particularly susceptible.
• Children are more vulnerable to fatal and non-fatal accidents.
• Exposure to neurotoxicants, endocrine disruptors, allergens
and carcinogens during this critical period can be highly
unsafe.

20. Difference between formal and
informal e-waste management
Formal Informal
Components of the Cathode Ray Tubes’
(CRTs) are separated by heating in a closed
chamber, which sucks out phosphors from
the components.
Then crushed in shredder machines.
Sold to the companies that manufacture the
CRTs.
Cathode Ray Tubes’ are broken manually to
separate its components – glass, metal and
copper.
Sold to bangle makers, non-branded TV
makers. Phosphors, if inhaled, can be toxic.
Circuit boards are crushed in shredder
machines. They are sent to approved
smelters, where after smelting at 1200°C, the
metals in the circuit board collect together.
The metals—lead, copper, nickel, tin, gold,
silver, palladium—are then separated by
electro-refining.
Circuit boards have gold plated brass pins,
microchips and condensers which are
separated by heating. Fumes released
during heating are toxic. Gold-plated brass
pins are soaked in acid to recover the gold
and brass separately.
Heated in big containers filled with acid to
extract metallic parts.

21. Difference between formal and
informal e-waste management
Formal Informal
Protective equipments—gloves,
masks, shoes, caps—are provided
to employees.
Unskilled workers are paid
regular monthly salary (Rs 5000
per month)
No safety precautions followed.
Unskilled workers are paid daily
wages as per their collection (Rs
100-150 per day)
Investment for a dismantler is
about Rs. 30 lakh and for a
recycling plant, about Rs. 25
crore.
Minimal capital investment
required. Cost includes price of e-
scrap, bribes to transfer it across
state borders and set up and run
shops, and rent for the workspace.

22. Health hazards
Lead
Mechanical breaking of CRTs (cathode ray tubes) and removing solder from
microchips release lead as powder and fumes
A neurotoxin that affects the kidneys and the reproductive system.
It affects mental development in children.
Plastics
Found in circuit boards, cabinets and cables
Burning PVC, a component of plastics, also produces dioxins.
BFRs or brominated flame retardants give out carcinogenic
brominated dioxins and furans.
Dioxins can harm reproductive and immune systems.
Chromium
Used to protect metal housings and plates in a computer from corrosion.
Inhaling hexavalent chromium can damage liver and kidneys
Also affects respiratory system causing asthmatic bronchitis and lung cancer.

23. Health hazards
Mercury
It is released while breaking and burning of circuit boards and switches.
Affects the central nervous system, kidneys and immune system.
It impairs foetus growth and harms infants through mother’s milk.
Methylated mercury is toxic and can enter the human food chain through aquatic
life.
Cadmium
Cadmium is released into the environment as powder while crushing and milling of
plastics, CRTs and circuit boards.
Is a known carcinogen.
Long-term exposure causes Itai-itai disease, which causes severe pain in the joints
and spine. It affects the kidneys and softens bones
Beryllium
Found in switch boards and printed circuit boards.
It is known carcinogen and causes lung diseases

25. Health hazards
• Little is known about the toxicity and environmental
properties of over 1,000 of the chemicals identified in the e-
waste streams.
• E-waste composition is changing with technological
development
• In addition, even if individual components in a mixture do not
separately have harmful effects, the mixture itself may produce
harmful effects – known as the “COCKTAIL EFFECT”
• Daily “cocktail” of chemicals has been shown to potentially
disrupt hormonal systems, adversely affect reproductive
functions and cause certain types of cancer.

26. Health hazards
• Contamination of soil, surface water and air leads to
secondary exposure.
• The pollution generated by e-waste processing brings about
toxic or genotoxic effects on the human body, threatening the
health not only of workers but also of the residents and future
generations living in the local environment.
• Most chemicals have a slow metabolic rate in animals, and
may bioaccumulate in tissues and be excreted in edible
products such as eggs and milk or get stored in muscles.

27. Management
• The basic principles of e-waste
management is reduce, reuse and
recycle
• Reduce – the number of electronic
and electrical equipment
• Reuse – when the equipment is still
working, it can be sold or donated,
thus continuing the "life" of the
product
• Recycle – the equipment is
disassembled and the components
recovered and used to manufacture
new products

28. Management
Environmentally sound E-waste treatment has three levels.
• 1st Level Treatment –dismantling, segregation, depollution
• 2nd Level Treatment – hammering, shredding, special
treatment processes
• 3rd Level Treatment – smelting, electro-refining, thermal
depolymerization

29. Management
1st Level Treatment
• Input: e-waste items like TV, refrigerator and Personal
Computers (PC) etc..
• Unit Operations: There are three unit operations at first level
of e-waste treatment
– Dismantling: manual/mechanized breaking
– Segregation: After dismantling the components are
segregated into hazardous and non-hazardous components
– Depollution: the removal and separation of certain
materials to allow them to be handled separately to
minimize impacts. E.g.: batteries, fluorescent lamps and
cathode ray tubes (CRTs)

30. Management
2nd Level Treatment
• Input: Decontaminated E-waste consisting of segregated non
hazardous e-waste like plastic, CRT, circuit board and cables.
• Unit Operations: There are three unit operations at second
level of E-waste treatment
– Hammering
– Shredding
– Special treatment processes: comprising of CRT treatment,
Eddy current separation, optical separation, Density
separation using water, air table separation

31. Management
CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) treatment technology
• CRT is manually removed from plastic/ wooden casing.
• Picture tube is split and the funnel section is then lifted off the
screen section and the internal metal mask can be lifted to
facilitate access to internal phosphor coating.
• Internal phosphor coating is removed by using an abrasive
wire brush and a strong vacuum system to clean the inside and
recover the coating. The extracted air is cleaned through an air
filter system to collect the phosphor dust.

32. Management
• The 3rd level treatment is carried out mainly to recover
ferrous, nonferrous metals, plastics and other items of
economic value.
• Methods used are smelting, electro-refining, thermal
depolymerization

33. International regulatory
frameworks
• The Basel Convention (Switzerland, 1989)
• The Rotterdam Convention (Netherlands, 1998)
• The Stockholm Convention (Sweden, 2001)
• The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals
Management SAICM (Switzerland, 2009)
• Synergies (Switzerland, 2013)

34. The Basel Convention
• The Basel Convention (Switzerland, 1989)
controls the transboundary movement of
hazardous wastes and their disposal
• As of May 2013, 179 states have signed
the Convention.
• The Basel Convention calls for an overall
reduction of waste generation
– By encouraging countries to keep
wastes within their boundaries and as
close as possible to its source of
generation, the internal pressures
should provide incentives for waste
reduction and pollution prevention.

35. The Rotterdam Convention
• The Rotterdam Convention (Netherlands,
1998)
– Promotes shared responsibility between
exporting and importing countries in
protecting human health and the
environment,
– Provides for the exchange of information
about potentially hazardous chemicals that
may be exported and imported.
– Creates legally binding obligations for the
implementation of the prior informed
consent procedure.

36. The Stockholm Convention
• The Stockholm Convention
(Sweden, 2001)
• Aims to protect human health
and the environment from
chemicals that remain persistent
in the environment for long
periods, are distributed globally
and accumulate in the fatty tissue
of humans and animals.

37. SAICM
• The Strategic Approach to International
Chemicals Management SAICM
(Switzerland, 2009)
• The goal is that, by 2020, chemicals are
produced and used in ways which
minimize significant adverse impacts on
human health and the environment.
• Five themes:
– Risk reduction,
– Knowledge and information,
– Governance,
– Capacity building,
– Addressing illegal international traffic

38. Synergies
• Synergies among the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm
Conventions:
• Geneva, Switzerland, from 28 April to 10 May 2013
Areas of focus:
• Continued commitment of all parties to ensuring the
implementation of the full breadth of the three conventions
• Enhanced Cooperation and Coordination between the
Technical Bodies of the Three Conventions
• Taking into account the specific needs and circumstances of
developing countries

39. Regulatory frameworks in India
Various legislations cover different aspects of e-waste
• Basel convention (1989) for regulating transboundary
movement
• The hazardous waste (management and handling ) rules, 1998
as amended in 2008 for Toxic content – registration mandatory
for recyclers
• Guidelines’ by Central Pollution Control Board ( 2008)
provides guidelines for best practices, producer responsibility
and restriction of hazardous substances.
• Foreign Trade policy (2009-2014) restricts import of second-
hand computers and does not permit import of e-waste

40. Regulatory frameworks in India
• E-waste (Management & Handling) Rules under the
Environment Protection Act 2011
– The basic objective is to put in place an effective
mechanism to regulate the generation, collection, storage,
transportation, import, export, environmentally sound
recycling, treatment and disposal of e-waste.
– This includes refurbishment, collection system and
producer responsibility thereby reducing the wastes
destined for final disposal

41. Regulatory frameworks in India
• The producer of electrical and electronic equipments is
responsible for the entire life cycle of its own branded product
and in particular the environmentally sound end-of-life
management and facilitating collection and take back.
• Procedure for Authorization of producers, collection agencies,
dismantlers and recyclers.
• Procedure for registration/renewal of registration of recyclers
• Liability of producers, collection agencies, transporter,
dismantlers and recyclers
• Reduction of hazardous substances used in e-equipments

42. Regulatory frameworks in India
• Only 12 states have registered (97 units) E-Waste
Dismantler/Recycler in the country viz., Andhra Pradesh (2),
Chattisgarh (1), Gujarat (5), Haryana (7), Karnataka (27),
Maharashtra (18), Madhya Pradesh (1), Rajasthan (6), Tamil
Nadu (11), Uttar Pradesh (15), Uttarkhand (3) and West
Bengal (1)
• In Haryana 4 units are in Gurgaon, 2 in Rohtak and 1 in
Mewat
Giriraj Metals, P. No. 39 Haryana State
Industrial & Infrastructure
Development Corporation Ltd
(HSIIDC), Industrial Estate, Kutana,
Rohtak.
Earth Waste Management (P) Ltd.
Shop No. 769,
Sampla-Beri Road
Village-Ismaila, Tehsil–Sampla,
Distt. Rohtak

43. Future challenges and opportunities
• Accurate figures not available for rapidly increasing e-waste
volumes—generated domestically and by imports
• No accurate estimates of the quantity of e-waste recycled
• Major portion of e-waste is processed by the informal
(unorganised) sector using rudimentary techniques.
• Low level of awareness among manufacturers and consumers
of the hazards of incorrect e-waste disposal
• E-waste workers have little or no knowledge of toxins in e-
waste.
• Inefficient recycling processes result in substantial losses of
material value and resources

44. Future challenges and opportunities
• Technological changes to introduce less toxic/ non-toxic substances/
reduce amount of toxic substance
– The production of “halogen-free” appliances, not contributing to
the production of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenly) and dioxins
– The replacement of CRT screens with LCD screens (Pb
elimination)
– The introduction of optical fibres (Cu elimination from the
cablings)
– The introduction of rechargeable batteries (Ni, Cd reduction)
• Non-governmental organizations and citizen movements pressing
for the elimination of hazardous substances in electronic appliances,
resulting in manufacturers competing for a more “green” profile.

45. Future challenges and opportunities
• Specific allocation of funds for environmental surveillance and
evolving public–private partnership (PPP) model-based
systems could be introduced.
• Offer incentives to those complying with environmental and
health norms.
• The formalization of the informal e-waste recycling sector into
a transparent system.
• Organizing informal recyclers into small enterprises is a very
effective way to upgrade their recycling business and
practices.

46. Future challenges and opportunities
• Where formal facilities exist, measures can be taken to
improve health and safety during exposure to most heavy
metals and other chemicals.
• The ILO code of practice, provides safety guidelines in the use
of chemicals at work provides the framework. Such measures
include
– Provision of an enclosed and fitted work area with exhaust
ventilation.
– When adequate ventilation is impossible to maintain,
respirators should be carried and air should be sampled to
determine substance concentrations.

47. Future challenges and opportunities
– In areas with hazards of flying particles, chemical splashes,
radiant heat and so on, workers should wear appropriate
safety equipment, such as eye, face, hand and arm
protection and impermeable clothing.
– Adequate sanitary facilities should be provided, and
workers should be encouraged to wash before meals and to
wash thoroughly and change clothes before leaving work.
– Smoking, eating and drinking in work areas should be
prohibited.

49. References
• Guidelines for Environmentally Sound Management of E-waste.
Ministry of Environment & Forests, Central Pollution Control
Board. New Delhi, 2008.
• E-waste in India, Research Unit, Rajya Sabha Secretariat, New
Delhi, 2011.
• Implementation of E-Waste Rules 2011: Guidelines. Central
Pollution Control Board, Delhi.
• Synergies Decisions: Compilation of decisions related to enhancing
cooperation and coordination among the Basel, Rotterdam and
Stockholm conventions, 2012.
• List of Registered E-Waste Dismantler/Recycler in the country.
Ministry of Environment & Forests, Central Pollution Control
Board. New Delhi.
• The global impact of e-waste: Addressing the challenge.
International Labour Organization, Geneva 2012.