E-waste refers to electronic products that are near or at the end of their useful life. It contains toxic materials like lead, cadmium, and mercury that can harm the environment and human health. The amount of e-waste is increasing rapidly as electronics usage grows. Most e-waste in India is handled by the informal sector using unsafe methods. Proper e-waste management includes collection, sorting, recycling, and treatment to safely handle toxins. The government is working with organizations and implementing regulations, but increased awareness and producer responsibility are still needed to address this challenging waste stream.

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2. What is E-waste ?
 E-waste comprises of
waste electronics
goods which are not fit
for their originally
intended use.
 Such electronics goods
may be television,
telephones, radios,
computers, printers,
fax machines, DVDs
and CDs etc.
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3. Is E-waste hazardous?
 Electronics products like computers and cell
phones contain a lot of different toxins.
 For example, Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) contain
heavy metals such as Lead, Barium and
Cadmium, which can damage human nervous
and respiratory system if they enter the water
system.
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4. Effects of E-waste
On Environment
On Human Health
 Pollution of Ground-
 DNA damage.
 Lung Cancer.
 Damage to heart, liver
Water.
 Acidification of soil.
 Air Pollution.
 E-Waste accounts for
40 percent of the lead
and 75 percent of the
heavy metals found in
landfills.
and spleen.
 Chronic damage to
the brain.
 Asthmatic bronchitis.
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5. Sources of E-waste
 IT and Telecom Equipments
 Large Household Appliances
 Small Household Appliances
 Consumer & Lighting Equipments
 Electrical & Electronic Tools
 Toys, Leisure & Sports Equipment
 Medical Devices
 Monitoring & Control Instruments
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6. Dynamics of E-waste Generation
 PC sales were over 7.3 million units during 2007-
08, growing by 16 percent .
 The consumer electronics market is growing at
the rate of 13-15 percent annually.
 The cellular subscriber base was up by 96.86 per
cent during 2007-08.
 The total E-waste in India has been estimated to
be 1,46,180 Tones per year.
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7. E-waste Management
The major components of E-waste Management are
 E-waste collection, sorting and transportation.
 E-waste recycling.
In industries, management of E-waste is done by
Waste
Minimization Techniques. It involves Inventory management,
 Production-process modification,
 Volume reduction,
 Recovery and reuse.
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8. Recycling of
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Treatment Options of E-Waste

Land filling.

Incineration.
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Technology Currently Used in India

Decontamination.

Dismantling.

Pulverization/ Hammering.

Shredding.

Density separation using water.
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9. Related Organizations
 E-Parisaraa Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore, Karnataka.
 Attero Recycling Pvt. Ltd., Roorkee, Uttarakhand.
 Eco Recycling Pvt. Ltd., Andheri(East), Mumbai.
 K. G. Nandini, near Bangalore, Karnataka.
 Trishyiraya Recycling India Pvt. Ltd., Chennai.
 Tess Amm Ltd., Chennai.
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10. Impacts of Informal Recycling
 CRT breaking operations result in injuries from
cuts and acids and respiratory problems due to
shredding, burning etc.
 Waste components which does not have any
resale or reuse value are openly burnt or
disposed off in open dumps.
 Plastic casings, cables and polyvinyl chloride
(PVC) cable insulation can release highly toxic
dioxins and furans when burned.
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11. Initiatives Taken
 To reduce informal recycling government has
taken following steps :


Several workshops on electronic waste management has
been organized by CPCB.
Demonstration projects have also been set up by DIT at the
Indian Telephone Industries.
 Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is an
environmental policy approach in which a
producer’s responsibility for a product is
extended to the post consumer stage.
 Indo-German-Swiss e-waste initiative has been
taken in 2004.
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12. E-waste Challenges

Accurate figures not available for rapidly
increasing e-waste volumes generated
domestically and by imports.

Low level of awareness among manufacturers
and consumers of the hazards of incorrect ewaste disposal.

Major portion of e-waste is processed by the
informal (unorganized) sector using rudimentary
techniques.
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13. Responsibility and Role
Industries
 Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers should
undertake the responsibility of recycling/disposal
of their own products.
 Manufacturers must be responsible for educating
consumers regarding the potential threat posed
by their products.
 Companies should adopt Waste Minimizing
Techniques.
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14. Responsibility and Role
Citizens
 E-wastes should never be disposed with garbage
and other household wastes.
 Customers should opt for upgrading their
electronic items to the latest versions rather than
buying new.
 While buying electronic products consumers
should opt for those that:
•
•
•
are made with fewer toxic constituents.
use recycled content.
are energy efficient.
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15. Legislation
 Basel convention for regulating trans-boundary
movement.
 The hazardous waste (management and handling)
rules, 1998 as amended in 2008.
 Municipal solid waste management and handling
rules for non-toxic content.
 The Environment Protection Act - Biomedical
Wastes (M&H) Rules 1998, Batteries (M&H) Rules
2001, etc.
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16. Conclusion
 Solid waste management becoming more
complicated by the invasion of e-waste,
particularly computer waste.
 Establishment of e-waste collection, exchange
and recycling centers should be encouraged.
 Policy level interventions should include
development of e-waste regulation, control of
import and export of e-wastes.
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