15th Aug 2012

E Waste Management (India)

Prepared by:
Prerna Challawar M-11-08 Manish PG-11Vikrant Mapuskar M-11-30

Under Guidance of:

Prof. PG Kane IES MCRC

Copy of the Case

Case: 10

E waste Management
Definition of e-waste : Electronic waste, popularly known as e-waste can be defined as electronic equipments / products connects with power plug, batteries which have become obsolete due to: advancement in technology changes in fashion, style and status nearing the end of their useful life. Classification of e-waste : E-waste encompasses ever growing range of obsolete electronic devices such as computers, servers, main frames, monitors, TVs & display devices, telecommunication devices such as cellular phones & pagers, calculators, audio and video devices, printers, scanners, copiers and fax machines besides refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, and microwave ovens, e-waste also covers recording devices such as DVDs, CDs, floppies, tapes, printing cartridges, military electronic waste, automobile catalytic converters, electronic components such as chips, processors, mother boards, printed circuit boards, industrial electronics such as sensors, alarms, sirens, security devices, automobile electronic devices.

Indian Scenario : There is an estimate that the total obsolete computers originating from government offices, business houses, industries and household is of the order of 2 million nos. Manufactures and assemblers in a single calendar year, estimated to produce around 1200 tons of electronic scrap. It should be noted that obsolence rate of personal computers (PC) is one in every two years. The consumers finds it convenient to buy a new computer rather than upgrade the old one due to the changing configuration, technology and the attractive offers of the manufacturers. Due to the lack of governmental legislations on e-waste, standards for disposal, proper mechanism for handling these toxic hi-tech products, mostly end up in landfills or partly recycled in a unhygienic conditions and partly thrown into waste streams. Computer waste is generated from the individual households; the government, public and private sectors; computer retailers; manufacturers; foreign embassies; secondary markets of old PCs. Of these, the biggest source of PC scrap are foreign countries that export huge computer waste in the form of reusable components. Electronic waste or e-waste is one of the rapidly growing environmental problems of the world. In India, the electronic waste management assumes greater significance not only due to the generation of our own waste but also dumping ofe-waste particularly computer waste from the developed countries. With extensively using computers and electronic equipments and people dumping old electronic goods for new ones, the amount ofE-Waste generated has been steadily increasing. At present Bangalore alone generates about 8000 tonnes of computer waste annually and in the absence of proper disposal, they find their way to scrap dealers. E-Parisaraa, an eco-friendly recycling unit on the outskirts of Bangalore which is located in Dobaspet industrial area, about 45 Km north of Bangalore, makes full use ofE-Waste. The

plant which is Indias first scientific e-waste recycling unit will reduce pollution, landfill waste and recover valuable metals, plastics & glass from waste in an eco-friendly manner. EParisaraa has developed a circuit to extend the life of tube lights. The circuit helps to extend the life of fluorescent tubes by more than 2000 hours. If the circuits are used, tube lights can work on lower voltages. The initiative is to aim at reducing the accumulation of used and discarded electronic and electrical equipments. India as a developing country needs simpler, low cost technology keeping in view of maximum resource recovery in an environmental friendly methodologies. E-Parisaraa, deals with practical aspect of e-waste processing as mentioned below by hand. Phosphor affects the display resolution and luminance of the images that is seen in the monitor. E-Parisaraas Director Mr. P. Parthasarathy, an IIT Madras graduate, and a former consultant for a similar e-waste recycling unit in Singapore, has developed an eco-friendly methodology for reusing, recycling and recovery of metals, glass & plastics with non-incineration methods . The hazardous materials are segregated separately and send for secure land fill for ex.: phosphor coating, LEDs, mercury etc. We have the technology to recycle most of the e-waste and only less than one per cent of this will be regarded as waste, which can go into secure landfill planned in the vicinity by the HAWA project.

Brief Summary of the case

What is E-waste? E-waste comprises of wastes generated from used electronic devices and house-hold appliances which are not fit for their original intended use and are destined for recovery, recycling or disposal. E-Waste is generated due to advancement in technology, changes in fashion, style and status of device nearing the end of its useful life. Average discard rate of electronic items is as following:Item Mobile Phones Personal Computers Camera Television Refrigerator Washing machine IT accessories Discard/Replace rate 1 to 3 years 2 to 4 years 3 to 5 years 10 to 15 years 10 to 15 years 10 to 15 years Very fast

E-waste encompasses ever growing range of obsolete electronic devices such as computers, servers, main frames, monitors, TVs & display devices, telecommunication devices such as cellular phones & pagers, calculators, audio and video devices, printers, scanners, copiers and fax machines besides refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, and microwave ovens, e-waste also covers recording devices such as DVDs, CDs, floppies, tapes, printing cartridges, military electronic waste, automobile catalytic converters, electronic components such as chips, processors, mother boards, printed circuit boards, industrial electronics such as sensors, alarms, sirens, security devices, automobile electronic devices. Is E-Waste Hazardous? E-waste is not hazardous per se. However, the hazardous constituents present in the e-waste render it hazardous when such wastes are dismantled and processed or disposed in an inappropriate manner, since it is only at this stage that they pose hazard to health and environment.

Source of E-Waste Individual households, the government, public and private sectors, computer retailers, manufacturers, foreign embassies, secondary markets of old PCs, the biggest source of PC scrap are foreign countries that export huge computer waste in the form of reusable components. The Basel Action Network (BAN) which works for prevention of globalisation of toxic chemicals has stated in a report that 50 to 80 per cent of e-waste collected by the US is exported to India, China, Pakistan, Taiwan and a number of African countries. This is done because cheaper labour is available for recycling in these countries. And in the US, export of e-waste is legal. Of late, China has banned import of e-waste. In India, recycling of e-waste is almost entirely left to the informal sector, which does not have adequate means to handle either the increasing quantities or certain processes, leading to intolerable risk for human health and the environment. The statistics for Waste of electrical and electronic equipments (WEE) is as following:-

Source: Presentation of Dr Dilip B. Boralkar at National Conference on E-Waste Management, an Indo-German-Swiss E-Waste Initiative, at New Delhi on December 10, 2008.

Recycling, Reuse and Recovery Process

Components of e-waste management The major components of e-waste management are: 1. e-waste collection, sorting and transportation 2. e-waste recycling; it involves dismantling, recovery of valuable resource, sale of dismantled parts and export of processed waste for precious metal recovery

The stakeholders The stake holders are the people who can help in overcoming the challenges posed by ewaste, various stake holders are:1. Manufacturers, Importers, distributors, traders, retailers 2. Users 3. Collectors 4. Recyclers 5. Policy makers (MOEF, MOIT, CPCB, SPCBs/PCCs) 6. Manufacturing associations (MAIT, etc.) 7. Industrial associations (TEMA, CETMA, ELCINA, CIT, etc.) 8. NGOs 9. Research institutions 10. Experts in the field. 11. Funding agencies.

Legal Provisions 1. Draft E Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2010 issued by MOEF. 2. Guidelines for environmentally sound management of E Waste 12th Mar 2008 by CPCB, MOEF. 3. Hazardous wastes (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules 2008 by MOEF. 4. Schedule III a. Part A: List of Hazardous Wastes Applicable for Import with Prior Informed Consent [Annexure VIII of the Basel Convention*] b. Part B :List of Hazardous Wastes applicable for Import and Export not Requiring Prior Informed Consent c. Part C : list of hazardous characteristics 5. Schedule IV - List of hazardous wastes requiring registration for recycling/reprocessing.

E-Waste Initiatives 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Participation in BASEL Expert group on HWM Need assessment study Indo German collaboration Indo Swiss study/workshop National level workshop in collaboration with GTZ ASEM Formation of working group a. National level E-Waste assessment b. Approval of TOR for national level study c. Assessment of present scenario d. Prioritization of cities for rapid assessments 8. Base-line and data management.

The milestones achieved so far are: 1. Improved awareness a. Three WEEE Care! Initiative workshops in Bangalore supported by the Goethe Institute b. National e-waste workshop in Delhi, hosted by MoEF 2. Improved stakeholder engagement a. Formation of the e-waste Agency (EWA) brings together industry, government and NGO to work on a sustainable e-waste management strategy for Bangalore b. First national e-waste workshop c. First national workshop on e-waste guidelines held, organised by MoEF 3. Improved estimates of e-waste a. Rapid assessments in Delhi and Bangalore of the quantities being the e-waste recycling hot-spots b. National-level desk study to assess e-waste quantities A national-level assessment of electronics and electrical equipment waste (WEEE) by MoEF/CPCB/IRG/GTZ 4. Extended Producers responsibility (EPR) It is an environment protection strategy that makes the producer responsible for the entire life cycle of the product, especially for take back, recycle and final disposal of the product. Thus the producers responsibility is extended to the post-consumer stage of the product life cycle. This needs to be included in the legislative framework making EPR a mandatory activity associated with the production of electronic and electrical equipments over a period of time. 5. RoHS (restriction on hazardous substances) There is an increasing trend in the reduction in the use of hazardous substances such as lead, cadmium, mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) and other toxic and hazardous substances for which safe substitutes have been found. Many countries have adopted the RoHS regulations in the manufacture of electrical and electronic equipments. 6. Insight into technologies for various levels of recycling Country has twelve authorised e-waste recyclers including e-Parisara and Ash in Bangalore, Tessam in Chennai and Eco-Reco in Mumbai. Ramky Group is setting up the countrys largest integrated e-waste management facility in Bangalore in collaboration with GTZ, while Attero is building an integrated e-waste recycling plant in Utter Pradesh.

Our Assessment of the Case

Findings 1. Accurate figures are not available for rapidly increasing e-waste volumes generated domestically and by imports 2. Low level of awareness among manufacturers and consumers of the hazards of incorrect ewaste disposal 3. No accurate estimates of the quantity of e-waste generated and recycled available in India 4. Major portion of e-waste is processed by the informal (unorganised) sector using rudimentary techniques such as acid leaching and open-air burning, which results in severe environmental damage 5. e-waste workers have little or no knowledge of toxins in e-waste and are exposed to health hazards 6. High-risk backyard recycling operations impact vulnerable social groups like women, children and immigrant labourers result in substantial losses of material value and resources 8. Cherry-picking by recyclers who recover precious metals (gold, platinum, silver, copper, etc.) and improperly dispose of the rest, posing environmental hazards with e-waste at present

Our View Points Intervention is essential for the following activities :1. Policy interventions a. Strict rules necessary to implement the E-Waste management rules and policies like Extended Producers Responsibility b. Facilitation and development of infrastructure. c. Control on import E-Waste. 2. Technical interventions a. R&D investments for finding alternate environment friendly materials b. Restriction for use of toxic materials. c. Recycle and recovery technology improvement by R&D and information sharing with developed nations. 3. Financial Intervention a. Tax incentives for E-Waste management. b. Government subsidies for recycling plants.

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Conclusion Finally, through improved e-waste management in the major Indian cities, the e-waste initiatives taken in the country will achieve better environmental conditions. Moreover, health conditions of workers active in the e-waste recycling sector will enormously improve at the local level. As an overall effect, the living conditions for the neighbouring population will be better. The already existing schemes of e-waste recycling and material recovery, mainly in the informal sector, will be transformed to transparent and workers- and environment-friendly methods. In the long term, the problem of improper e-waste recycling will disappear due to improved methods, implementation of a take-back system and consideration of the extended producers responsibility. Experience exchange on national and international levels, including know-how transfer, is being facilitated through the various initiatives. Thus, a dialogue platform for Indian and European e-waste experts has been created, opening the doors for future industries to be developed and cooperation activities to be performed for technology and knowledge transfer

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REFERENCES: LIST OF WEBSITES: 1. www.usepa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/ecycling/index.htm 2. www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/index.htm 3. www.ec.gc.ca 4. www.environment.gov.au 5. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/weee/index_en.htm 6. www.ewasteguide.info 7. www.basel.int 8. www.unep.org 9. http://www.unep.ch/ozone/index.shtml 10. www.cpcb.nic.in/Hazardous%20Waste/default_Hazardous_Waste.html 11. http://www.basel.int/industry/mppiwp/guid-info/index.html

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