Electronic waste is a rapidly growing problem as obsolete electronics are discarded. India generates around 500,000 tons of e-waste per year, which is expected to increase substantially. Most e-waste in India is handled by the informal sector using unsafe practices like open burning and acid baths, releasing toxic materials into the environment. Proper e-waste management and regulations are needed to promote recycling and reduce environmental contamination from this growing waste stream.

1. Electronic Waste
A challenge to our development
Presented By: -
1478 Chintu Gautam
1479 Simran Girdhar
1480 Shreya Sharma
1481 Ayushi Chaudhary
1482 Savita Mavi
1483 Ankit Vats
1485 Shruti Tiwari
1486 Jyoti Rathore
1490 Sakshi Gupta

2. Contents
• What is e-waste?
• Types of e-waste
• Toxic contents of e-waste
• Harmful effects of e-waste
• What happens to e-waste?
• Methods of disposing e-waste
• Measures taken by various organizations to handle
e-waste
• E-waste in India
• Conclusion

3. E-waste
Electronic waste or e-waste is the rapidly
expanding volume of obsolete computers,
printers, fax machines, TVs, and other
electronic devices finding its way into the
waste stream of countries in the world.

4. What is E-waste?
"Electronic waste" may be defined as all secondary
computers, entertainment device electronics, mobile
phones, and other items such as television sets and
refrigerators, whether sold, donated, or discarded by
their original owners. The United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) includes
discarded CRT monitors in its category of "hazardous
household waste“, but considers CRTs set aside for
testing to be commodities if they are not discarded,
speculatively accumulated, or left unprotected from
weather and other damage.

5. Types of
e-waste

6. Types of e-waste
Criterion 1 - (Based Upon Electrical
Articles)
• Computers, televisions, cell phones etc.
Criterion 2 - (Based on their reasons
of being a waste)
• Newer techs, not functioning machines etc.

7. Criterion 1 - (Based Upon Electrical
Articles)
Cell phones,
computers, televisions
etc.

8. Criterion 2 - (Based on their reasons
of being a waste)
• Type 1 - Those electrical articles which are working but
are turned into a waste because of the fact that newer
technologies have invaded the market and more and
more people find themselves inclined to these newer
technologies and because of their affinity to this newer
technologies they discard their existing articles.

9. • Type 2 - E wastes that are actually wastes. By this
we mean those articles that do not posses any
function anymore that is the true wastes. The total
amount of e waste should be equivalent to the
waste generated under type 2 but the growing
concern is because of the type 1 wastes which are
growing in volume.

10. • Type 3 - Often it’s seen that not a whole electrical article
is a waste but a still a certain part of it is not functioning
for ex. In a television just the cathode rays are not
working but the remaining parts are working. But many
people chose the other way and replace the whole article.
So the whole article becomes a waste and is discarded.

11. How Much E-waste Is There?
• E-waste is a recent phenomenon
• 20-50 million metric tons of e-waste are disposed every
year.
• 60-65 million PCs become obsolete every year in the US
• Environment Protection Agency estimate – 1.9 million tons
of e-waste land filled in 2000 (EXCLUDING electric
appliances)
• 3-5% of material in landfills
• Growing 3 times the rate of other waste
• 315-600 million computers/TVs waiting in “e-waste
purgatory”

12. Toxic
contents of
e-waste

13. Toxic contents of e-waste
• Due to the pervading reach of information technology in trade and commerce,
computer waste is the most significant of all e-waste, along with televisions and
cellular phones
• E-waste contains both valuable as well as harmful components
– Valuable components include precious metals such as gold, silver, copper, palladium, etc.
– Harmful substances include lead, mercury, cadmium, etc.
• Some of the key toxic elements contained within components of a computer include:
Components of a computer Key Toxic Constituents
Printed Circuit Boards Lead and cadmium
Cathode ray Tubes(CRTs) Lead oxide and cadmium
Switches and Flat-screen Monitors Mercury
Computer Batteries Cadmium
Capacitors and Transformers Poly Chlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
Printed Circuit Boards, Plastic Casing Cable Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs)
Computer Batteries Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC)
Toxic Elements Inside a Computer

14. Toxic contents of e-waste

15. Harmful
effects
of
e-waste

16. Harmful effects of e-waste
Toxin Effects on Humans
Mercury Impairment of neurological development in fetus and
small children; tremors, emotional changes,
insomnia, headache, kidney effects respiratory
failures, death
Lead Damage to brain and nervous system, slow growth in
children, hearing problems, behavioral changes,
physical disorders

17. EFFECTS OF E-WASTE TOXINS
Toxin Effects on Humans
Chromium Asthmatic bronchitis, skin irritation, ulceration,
respiratory irritation, perforated
eardrums, kidney damage, pulmonary congestion
and oedema, epigastric pain, erosion and
discolouration of the teeth
Brominate
d Flames
Retardant
s
May increase cancer risk to digestive and lymph
systems, endocrine disorder

18. EFFECTS OF E-WASTE TOXINS
Effects on soil:
• Toxic leachates: Hg, Cd, Pb, P
• Uncontrolled fire risk →toxic fumes
• Biologically non-degradable: Cd, HG, BFR
There are also hazardous effects on livestock,
ecology, etc.

19. What
happens to
e-waste?

20. What Happens to E-waste?
End Markets for EOL TVs & CRTs
EPA Report – April 2007
For the Year 2005:
> Resale in U.S. 5%
> Glass to Glass Recycling in U.S. 2%
> Glass to Lead Smelting in U.S. 6%
> Glass to Glass Abroad 14%
> Exported for “Reuse” 61%

21. So Why Ship E-waste to China???
• Extremely Low Labor Costs
• No Worker-Safety Standards
• No Environmental Regulations
• Get the Good Stuff – Dump the Bad Stuff

22. Risks in dumping the e-waste
What’s the Problem with E-waste? -
Theft of Sensitive Information
2003 MIT Student Study:
– 158 used hard drives
– 129 still worked
– 69 had recoverable files
– 49 contained credit card, medical records & personal
correspondence
– 1 contained ATM transaction info.
• One of the top areas for dumping e-waste is Africa
• The number one area of the world for identity theft is
• AFRICA!

23. Methods of
disposing
e-waste

24. Methods of disposing e-waste
• Current Disposal Methods
– Incineration: This is a controlled way of disposing off the e-waste and it
involves combustion of electronic waste at high temperature in specially
designed incinerators. This e-waste disposal method is quite
advantageous as the waste volume is reduced extremely much and the
energy obtained is also utilized separately. However, it is also not free
from disadvantages with the emission of the harmful gases mercury and
cadmium in the environment.
– Acid Baths: Acid bath involves soaking of the electronic circuits in the
powerful sulphuric, hydrochloric or nitric acid solutions that free the
metals from the electronic pathways. The recovered metal is used in the
manufacturing of other products while the hazardous acid waste finds
its ways in the local water sources.
– Landfills: This is the most common methodology of e-waste disposal.
Soil is excavated and trenches are made for burying the e-waste in it. An
impervious liner is made of clay or plastic with a leach ate basin for
collection and transferring the e-waste to the treatment plant. However,
landfill is not an environmentally sound process for disposing off the e-
waste as toxic substances like cadmium, lead and mercury are released
inside the soil and ground water.

25. Incineration
Landfills
Acid Baths

26. Environmental Impacts
• Studies conducted in China discovered heavy
contamination in e-waste recycling regions
– Soil, air, water, and sediments all contained high
levels of contamination
• Trace metals (Lead, Zinc, Nickel, Copper, Mercury, and
Cadmium)
• Polychlorinated Biphenyls
• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
• Dioxins

27. Noble Methods of disposing e-waste
• Redesign of computer components
– Simplification of the deconstruction process
• Consumer Education
– Easy to access information about where to dispose of
unwanted electronics
• Updated Sorting Methods
- Automated sorting processes: Process that
separates organic matter and redevelops recyclable
materials

28. Methods
• Samples taken of soil, air, and water in areas
surrounding disposal sites
– Taken before the test is begun and once a week
every week after the start
• This will be considered a success if
contamination levels are the same or lower
than the initial samples

29. Desired Results
• The purposed methods aim to:
–Reduce export of e-waste to
developing countries
–Reduce the release of hazardous
materials during recycling and
disposal

30. Measures to
control
e-waste

31. Measures taken by various
organizations to handle e-waste
Various organizations that handles e-waste:
1. International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement: The International
Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement (INECE) is a global network of
environmental compliance and enforcement practitioners dedicated to raising awareness of
compliance and enforcement across the regulatory cycle; developing networks for
enforcement cooperation; and strengthening capacity to implement and enforce
environmental requirements.
2. Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI): The Institute of Scrap Recycling
Industries (ISRI) is a private, non-profit trade association representing more than 1,600
private and public for-profit companies – ranging from small, family-owned businesses to
multi-national corporations—operating at more than 6,000 facilities in the United States and
30 countries worldwide.
3. Solving the E-waste Problem (StEP): The StEPis an international initiative, created to
develop solutions to address issues associated with Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipment (WEEE). Some of the most eminent players in the fields of Production, Reuse and
Recycling of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE), government agencies and NGOs as
well as UN Organisations count themselves among its members. StEP encourages the
collaboration of all stakeholders connected with e-waste, emphasising a holistic, scientific
yet applicable approach to the problem.

32. Various initiatives by the organizations
• The Basel Action Network (BAN) is a non-governmental charitable
organization working to combat the export of toxic waste, toxic
technology and toxic products from industrialized
societies to developing countries. BAN is based in Seattle,
Washington, United States, with a partner office in the Philippines.
BAN is named after the Basel Convention, a United Nations treaty
designed to control and prevent the dumping of toxic wastes,
particularly on developing countries. BAN serves as
a watchdog and promoter of the Basel Convention and its
decisions.

33. • The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of
Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, usually known as the Basel
Convention, is an international treaty that was designed to reduce the
movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to
prevent transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed
countries (LDCs). It does not, however, address the movement of
radioactive waste. The Convention is also intended to minimize the amount
and toxicity of wastes generated, to ensure their environmentally sound
management as closely as possible to the source of generation, and to
assist LDCs in environmentally sound management of the hazardous and
other wastes they generate.The Convention was opened for signature on 22
March 1989, and entered into force on 5 May 1992. As of February 2014,
180 states and the European Union are parties to the Convention. Haiti and
the United States have signed the Convention but not ratified it.

34. • China RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances), officially known
as Administrative Measure on the Control of Pollution Caused by
Electronic Information Products is a Chinese government
regulation to control certain materials, including lead. All items
shipped to China now have to be marked as to whether the items
contained in the box are compliant or non-compliant. The
Electronic Information Products (EIP) logo or other label is used to
mark parts and assemblies that do not contain unacceptable
amounts of substances identified by the regulations, and that are
environmentally safe. Units that do contain hazardous substances
are marked with the EIP logo including an Environment Friendly
Use Period (EFUP) value in years.

35. • The e-Stewards Initiative is an electronics waste recycling standard
created by the Basel Action Network. In 2009, BAN published the
e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of
Electronic Equipment which set forth requirements for becoming a
Certified e-Stewards Recycler—a program that "recognizes
electronics recyclers that adhere to the most stringent
environmentally and socially responsible practices when
recovering hazardous electronic materials." Recyclers that were
qualified under the older Pledge program had until September 1,
2011 to achieve certification to the Standard by an e-Stewards
Accredited Certification Body accredited by ANAB (ANSI-ASQ
National Accreditation Board).

36. • Sustainable Electronics Initiative (SEI) is an initiative started
in the United States in the summer of 2009 by the Illinois
Sustainable Technology Centre, which is a division of the
Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability of the University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. SEI is dedicated to
developing and implementing sustainable means for
the design, manufacturing, remanufacturing,
and recycling of electronics (computers, cell
phones, televisions, printers, etc.) Members of SEI include
individuals from academia, non-profit organizations,
government agencies, manufacturers, designers, recyclers
and refurbishers.

37. E-waste in
India

38. India generates close to
500,000 tons e-waste p.a.
Generated 0.8 million ton in 2013
E-waste in India
E-waste in India

39. Broad break up appears as under:
Mumbai : 50,000 tons
Delhi : 35,000
Bangalore : 30,000
Chennai : 25,000
Kolkata : 19,000
Ahmedabad : 14,000
Hyderabad : 13,000
Pune : 10,000
Indore : 8,000
WASTE PILING UP

40. 1. Over 400 million current mobile users expected to
increase to 500 million by 2010 end
2. Indians purchased 40 million mobile phones in past 5
years including 9.28 million in 2007
3. Over 14 million old PCs ready for disposal in India
Considerable facts for India

41. Magnitude of e-waste in India
• As per a study released by MAIT, India generated 330,000 MT of electronic waste in
2007, while an additional 50,000 MT was illegally imported
• MAIT estimates that by 2011, e-waste in India would touch 470,000 MT
• The Western region contributes maximum to e-waste generation – up to 35%
• Sixty five cities in India generate up to 60% of total e-waste
• Ten states alone generate more than 70% of total e-waste
• MAIT estimates that only 19,000 tonnes of the total e-waste generated gets
ultimately processed by the formal recycling sector
• As per the study, around 94% of corporates in India do not have a policy on disposal
of obsolete IT products/ e-waste
Ferrous
Metal,32%
Plastic,23%
Non-ferrous
Metal,18%
Glass,15%
Electronic
Boards,12%
ContentsofaComputer
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
North East West South
E-WasteGeneration in IndiaAnnualE-WasteGenerated
3,32,979MT
AvailableforRecycling
1,44,443MT
E-WasteProcessed
19,000MT

42. How informal sector deals with?
• A relatively new industry in India, traditionally dominated by the unorganized
segment
• Scrap dealers and rag-pickers gather e-waste from households in their area of
operation and employ crude and highly unsafe processes for recycling the same,
causing significant environmental damage
– open burning of wires to extract resalable copper, soaking of circuit boards in acid baths to
extract precious metal, disposing the residue into open drains or land, etc.
• The formal e-waste recycling segment consists of a few large players which have the
proper infrastructure to handle e-waste equipment

43. Unsafe methods for e-waste recycling
• The unorganised segment often employs crude and highly unsafe processes for while
recycling e-waste, and extracting precious materials therefrom

46. Conclusion
From the above data we can
conclude that e-waste is a threat
for the world. The rate at which it is
increasing has create a question
mark on the development policies
of all nations. We have i-phones,
windows, mac’s but more we are
using these stuffs, the more it is
creating a threat on our own
survival. So it depends on us that
how we are concerned about this
problem and from starting with us
we can help the whole world to
overcome this hurdle as we have to
maintain sustainable development.

47. Evil of e-waste