Electronic waste (E-waste) is not only the fastest increasing but also the most lucrative source of waste. A tonne of E-waste will very certainly contain more silver than a tonne of silver ore.
Industrialisation, urbanisation, and increased levels of disposable income have all been linked to a rise in the manufacturing of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). E-waste generation trends have also shifted upward, owing in part to increased and irresponsible consumption, shorter device life spans, and mandatory obsolescence designed by EEE manufacturers.
Rapid technological advancements, economic expansion, urbanisation processes, rising demand for consumer electronic equipment, and a lower pricing trend are just a few of the elements that have contributed to the unprecedented growth of E-waste globally over the last two decades. The current new coronavirus illness (COVID-19) pandemic has fuelled demand for electronics, particularly in the form of information and telecommunications equipment.
Globally, about 53.6 million tonnes of E-waste was generated in 2019 – a rate of 7.3 kilogrammes per capita. As per UN’s Global E-waste Monitor Report, all continents have documented average collection and recycling rates of 14.66 percent, with Europe recycling 42.5 percent of E-waste and Africa recycling only 0.9 percent.
We have no idea where 80 percent of the world’s e-waste is produced, where it is disposed of, or what pre-treatment processes are utilised to extract the resource before it is thrown. 20% of this undocumented E-waste is transferred to low- and middle-income nations as second-hand goods or as E-waste. Around 8% of E-waste is placed in rubbish bins with other waste streams, which ends up in landfills in high-income countries. As of 2019, 78 countries had policies, regulations, or legislation in place to ensure the scientific and ethical handling of E-waste. As a result, it is critical to highlight that nearly 40% of our planet is governed by legislation, policy, or regulation that governs effective E-waste treatment.
While the production of E-waste shows no signs of slowing down, its management and regulatory solutions are critical. Let’s take a look at the issues surrounding E-waste management:
According to the Global E-waste Monitor, India ranks third in terms of total E-waste generated in 2019, behind the United States and China. In 2019, China created about 10.12 million metric tonnes of E-waste, followed by the United States with 6.91 million metric tonnes and India with 3.23 million metric tonnes. However, India is among the countries with the lowest per capita E-waste, with only 2.4 kg per capita in 2019, much below the global average of 7.3 kg per capita. With 7.2 kilogrammes per capita, China is likewise slightly below the global average. However, with 21 kg of E-waste per capita, the United States produces roughly three times the global average.
The amount of E-waste generated grows in lockstep with the demand for electronic devices. The figures on e-waste generation are already alarming. According to a recent analysis by the United Nations’ Global E-waste Monitor, 2020, the global volume of E-waste increased by 21% in the last five years. It has a 16-year doubling rate. With a whopping 53.6 million tonnes (MT) produced in 2019, it has already set a new record. The statistics from India is equally alarming. India, together with China and the United States, accounts for 38% of the total volume produced globally. According to a written declaration delivered in the Lok Sabha (September 23, 2020) by the Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, e-waste generation in India surged by 43% in just three years.
While the decreased per capita E-waste is encouraging, India falls short when it comes to appropriate E-waste collection and recycling.
As mentioned, in 2019, India generated 3.2 million tonnes of e-waste. Ninety percent of this garbage has no documentation. India has 312 registered E-waste recyclers with a capacity to handle 782,080.62 tonnes of E-waste each year, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This means that if all E-waste was sent to India’s authorised recyclers, it would take four years for them to process it. And this is based on the optimistic assumption that all recyclers are fully operational. The Centre for Science and Environment, a research group based in New Delhi, went to E-waste recyclers to assess the situation.
It was discovered that recycling was not taking place at the scale at which recyclers were permitted to operate. Clearly, our country’s recycling potential is limited. More than 90% of our E-waste is handled by the informal sector, which uses non-scientific and unsafe ways to extract resources from E-waste and then dumps it carelessly.
This endangers their health and jeopardises the community and the environment’s safety and well-being. It is clear that we have failed terribly to manage our E-waste as a global community. Not only worldwide, but also locally, the wealthy are redirecting their e-waste to the impoverished. This practice must come to an end.
We need better implementation methodologies and inclusion rules that allow and validate the informal sector to step up and assist us in meeting our recycling goals in an environmentally responsible manner.
