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Ranking behind China and the United States, India is the third highest producer of electronic waste, or e-waste, in the world. In the financial year 2022, India generated more than 1.6 million metric tons of e-waste, double the volume compared to 2018.
Illustration by The Geostrata
During 2022, India collected and processed 527,000 metric tons of e-waste. The steady rise in India’s e-waste generation in recent years can be attributed to an increasing population, a flourishing electronic and communication industry, the short lifespan of appliances, and limited knowledge of the proper disposal of used electronic products.
E-waste refers to waste of electrical or electronic equipment, including all its components at the time of disposal. This can include TVs, computers, mobile phones, microwaves, and other appliances or gadgets that have reached the end of their shelf life or are disposed of for other reasons.
In 2002, the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (1989), an international treaty concerned with limiting the movement of hazardous waste between nations, categorised e-waste into hazardous and non-hazardous waste.
The improper disposal and recycling of e-waste can cause health and environmental repercussions since its components contain toxic chemicals like lead, cadmium, and mercury. For instance, the desoldering process used to extract valuable metals like gold and silver from e-waste can release hazardous vapours and toxins if done incorrectly.
Burning plastic and other low-value e-waste materials releases small particles into the atmosphere, contributing to air pollution. Landfilling e-waste poses a significant threat to both surface and groundwater, as hazardous chemicals can seep into water sources, contaminating them. Additionally, toxic residues from improper e-waste recycling can end up in city drains and sewers, polluting surrounding water channels.
While the problem of e-waste and its disposal has been flagged several times in India, over 90% of its processing continues to be in the informal sector, including 70% of recycling.
Across cities in Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, and West Bengal, there are over 3000 informal e-waste recycling units.
A careful analysis of the work undertaken in this sector shows that there are both drawbacks and benefits. Non-formal e-waste recyclers typically operate without proper regulation, leading to sub-standard and often unsafe practices. In most cases, electrical wastes are picked up by rag pickers, indicating an inconsistent and unreliable source of waste collection.
Additionally, these rag pickers operate without proper safety gear, exposing them to a risky work environment. Being in the informal sector excludes workers from compensation and accessing their labour rights, including the unlawful involvement of minors.
The disassembly of e-waste in recycling units is focused on extracting usable parts and components with resale value, which neglects the proper handling and disposal of hazardous materials. The valuable metals include gold, silver, aluminium, and copper.
Since profit is the main target, the unusable parts that may contain hazardous materials like tantalum, cadmium, zinc, and palladium remain unrecovered and are simply discarded, contributing to environmental pollution.
The informal sector uses chemical treatment to recover precious metals from e-waste. However, inadequate facilities and methods result in the leaching of hazardous substances into the air, soil, and water, posing serious environmental and health risks. The informal sector also lacks access to advanced recycling technologies, resulting in poor recovery rates and the inability to process complex materials effectively.
These issues highlight the need for improved regulation, upgraded technology, and safer practices in e-waste management within India’s informal sector. However, the benefits of this sector cannot be undermined.
Over the years, India’s informal e-waste management industry has developed into a self-sustaining and highly specialised economy characterized by its ability to operate independently without substantial external support.
The people involved in this sector have built efficient networks for collecting, disassembling, and recycling e-waste, relying on their understanding of local markets and cultural practices. Local market knowledge and tight networks enable informal processors to operate more efficiently and cost-effectively than many formal systems.
Workers possess specialised skills and knowledge when it comes to e-waste, allowing them to maximise output and make the process economically viable. Additionally, this sector has adapted to technological advancements, ensuring its continued relevance and sustainability.
Informal recyclers often provide second-hand electronics to schools and low-income households, boosting India’s educational infrastructure and helping bridge the digital divide. In a time when digital inclusion is necessary to keep pace with rapidly evolving societal changes, the unnoticed involvement of India’s informal sector deserves recognition.
This also indicates that instead of focusing on attracting the formal sector to be involved in e-waste management and recycling, acknowledging and supporting the informal e-waste sector can leverage this specialised knowledge and work more sustainably within the Indian framework.
Legal recognition of the informal waste management sector can create employment opportunities, generate tax revenue, and help build partnerships that can focus on inculcating environmental solutions into existing e-waste management processes.
Granting industry status to informal processors would allow them to apply for business loans, acquire safer tools, and improve their operations. In this way, informal systems can complement the formal sector and together, the industry can develop innovative recycling methods.
A WAY FORWARD
India has several regulatory frameworks to address the growing challenge of e-waste management. For instance, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change instituted the E-Waste (Management) Rules in 2016, with the latest amendment in 2022.
The new regulations aim to manage e-waste in an environmentally safe manner and establish an enhanced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework for e-waste recycling.
Under this, manufacturers, producers, and recyclers are required to register on a portal developed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in an effort to bring the informal sector into the formal economy.
Additionally, the rules introduce measures for environmental compensation, as well as verification and audit processes. The framework also focuses on encouraging a circular economy and scientific recycling or disposal of e-waste to promote sustainable management practices.
The vision for a circular economy was also espoused in a 2023 report by the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) titled ‘Pathways to Circular Economy in the Indian Electronics Sector.’ It discussed the advantages of the circular business model in transforming India’s electronics industry, the importance of reviewing e-waste management, and leveraging the potential of the informal sector. According to this report, this transformation could generate a market close to USD 7 billion.
Incorporating a circular economy model into the e-waste management system in the country can have several benefits. Under this model, disposed electronics can be brought back into use through methods like disassembling and reintroducing individual components into new technologies. Introducing private players and government involvement can alleviate financial stress on the informal sector, bring in better technology, and expand market and consumer reach in this reverse supply chain.
Establishing recycling points based on geography and optimising the existing informal units can help upgrade the recycling process, making it more efficient and cost-effective. Such centralized collection points also reduce logistical challenges and the costs associated with transporting e-waste across vast distances.
By involving informal sector workers and training them, the e-waste industry stands to gain a specialised workforce that, when equipped with the right technology, can become experts in dismantling and recycling various types of e-waste, improving the quality and speed of the recycling process. This will also boost the local economy. Moreover, the environmental aspects of e-waste recycling must be carefully considered.
Stricter regulations and practices can significantly minimise the risk of toxic leakage. Encouraging the development of efficient recycling facilities with appropriate technologies can also lead to the recovery of valuable materials, including rare earth metals from semiconductors. This not only maximises the economic value extracted from discarded electronics but also reduces the need for mining new resources, thus conserving natural resources.
BY SNEHA SURENDRAN
TEAM GEOSTRATA
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