Electronic waste refers to all old, end-of-life electronic appliances, including information technology equipment, office machines, telecommunications equipment, consumer electronics, household equipment and accessories. In most cases, e-waste comprises of relatively expensive and essentially durable products used for data processing, telecommunications or entertainment in private households and businesses.
The volume of e-waste is growing rapidly as technology advances. Public perception of e-waste is often restricted to a narrower sense, comprising mainly of end-of-life information- & telecommunication equipment and consumer electronics. However, technically, electronic waste is only a subset of WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment). According to the law any appliance using an electric power supply that has reached its end-of-life would come under WEEE.
Electronic and electrical items are made up of a multitude of components some containing toxic substances which can have an adverse impact on human health and the environment if not handled properly. Often, these hazards arise due to the improper recycling and disposal processes used. In most cases the larger proportion of E-waste comprises of PCs and mobiles, which nowadays have less than 2 years of life. People want to upgrade to the latest and these easily land up in garbage grounds. What is more alarming is that the rate at which the city is discarding E-waste is far higher than what was believed so far, the study has shown.
E-Waste has become one of the major concerns of our environmentalists at a time when the after effects of global warming are catching fire. Definitely it should be given a major thought with the technology advancing at such a fast pace.
There are thousands of inventions happening around the world every day and electronic equipments become obsolete in less than a year’s time. Earth is becoming the garbage bin for all such items, with no considerable effort given to proper recycling methods or land filling. But thankfully, it is a welcome scenario in India where various organizations are giving electronic wastes a new dimension by studying all the probable means of proper disposal and recycling methods.
Recent studies conducted by various organizations in metropolitan cities like Mumbai and Delhi points to the fact that there are tons of E-waste getting generated in these cities, which are posing a serious threat to the environment creating major health hazards to the people living here. It is reported that Mumbai has no system to manage e-waste, which inevitably finds its way to dumping grounds, where rag pickers handle it to remove metals like gold, copper and aluminum. Large amount reusable valuable materials are getting lost in this way. Even though cities like Delhi and Bangalore has some system of managing E-waste they are not that efficient because of the lack of awareness about the importance of conservation of E-waste. Recently Pune Municipal Corporation has also started its initiative in managing E-waste.
Studies conducted by various organizations shows that the importance of conservation, recycling and disposal of E-waste requires special attention due to its impact on the environment and health hazards caused by them. Industries should make procedures to collect, segregate, recycle and dispose the E-waste. Government should give incentives and conduct programs to create awareness among people regarding the importance of E-waste conservation. |
