Did you know that one metric tonne of e-scrap has more gold than 17 tonnes of gold ore? And 6000 mobile phones yield 130 grams of copper, 3.5 kg of silver, 340 grams of gold and 140 grams of palladium?
The used electronic products that are generally junked are more valuable than one can imagine, when properly recycled or harvested. Given the huge untapped potential for recycling in India, the number of jobs they can create is astounding too.
In their journey from the proud-to-possess gizmos to landing in the junk yard, gadgets such as computers, tablets and mobile phones undergo steps like breakage, dismantling, getting dipped in hot acid, extraction of copper and removal of the (small quantities of) gold and platinum in the mother board pins. The potential value of e-waste raw materials as estimated in 2016 is a whopping 55 billion euros. Seelampur in Delhi has become notorious as the ‘hub of e-waste’, while the metals go to brassware industry in Moradabad and the display parts to Meerut and Ferozabad, famous for glass artefacts.
Lack of awareness
“Unfortunately, the denizens have no knowledge of stored hazardous waste materials like batteries, capacitors, tapes, CRT glass and even the unorganised dismantlers do not use health gadgets like protective glass, masks, gloves and fire extinguishers”, says Ripunjay Singh, a scientist with Chennai-based National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), an autonomous scientific society under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Mr. Singh made the above observation while speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of a workshop on ‘E-waste Management Rules – 2016’ conducted by Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) recently. The e-waste legislation 2017 covers a mere 66% of the population residing in 67 countries. “The citizens can play a bigger role by insisting on using recycled products, donating or using a product till its life period and buying products with fewer toxic contents”, Mr.Singh said, adding that awareness is still low as e-waste is considerably low in India compared to developed nations.
APPCB Environmental Engineer A. Narendra Babu says that the legislation fixes responsibility on every stakeholder viz., e-waste producer, collection centre, recycler etc., but the onus is mainly on the end-user to dispose it of responsibly.
‘Green Electronics’
The focus the world over now is on ‘Green electronics’, which are made with fewer toxic contents, use recycled content and are energy efficient. Leasing or buyback is the best feasible intervention to do away with used gadgets. E-waste also offers enough potential to create jobs in organised recycling.
