The Unseen Ground Reality

Before we begin, let’s play a game. Get up and look around your house. List down the electronic items which you don’t use anymore. It can be a cell phone or a tablet that is ancient in comparison to the newer product you just ordered. It can be a television or a washing machine or a refrigerator or anything that your parents bought when they got married. Now from that list, mark the items which you are going to sell to kabbadiwala. If you end up marking even one item, you have discovered the first problem.

About 95% of e-waste in India is collected and treated by unorganized sectors. Seelampur in North-East Delhi is the largest e-waste hub of unorganized workers going through the mountains of waste. Now, before you give the argument that by selling waste to these workers you are helping them earn a living, think again! Treating e-waste without proper safeguards like PPE kits, training, etc. could lead to fatal damage to the nervous system, blood system, brain development, skin disorder, lung cancer, heart, liver and spleen damage. Around 80% of e-waste workers in India suffer from respiratory ailments like breathing, irritation, coughing and choking. Not to mention the fact that if this waste becomes part of the landfill, it seeps into groundwater, contaminates it and makes it dangerous to those who are dependent on it either for drinking or agriculture leading it to become a part of our food chain.

Global Projections: The Ticking Time-Bomb

It is estimated that globally the amount of e-waste generated will exceed 74 Mt (million metric tonnes) in 2030.

The Indian Scenario: Scale of the Challenge

By 2047 total waste is estimated to be about 260 million tonnes per day. Therefore, if we are unable to reach a proper systematic and scientific method to dispose of our e-waste by 2047, we would require a landmass equivalent to the size of Delhi to dump and dispose of the same. As per the Global E-Waste Monitor Report 2020, India is the third largest contributor to e-waste with 3.2 million tonnes. It also ranks among the top countries in the Asia region in terms of e-waste produced. Cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore are the top e-waste producers contributing to the cause. Only 5% of e-waste produced is processed through institutional channels which are either further reused or recycled.

As per 2020 EPI (Environmental Performance Index) results, India ranked at about 168 out of 180 countries. Our EPI score for Lead exposure is 21 where a score of 100 indicates a country is among the lowest daily rates for lead exposure in the world and a score of 0 indicates a country is among the highest (0 is bad and 100 is good). What’s worse is the fact that a major chunk of e-waste currently is coming from the urban areas but with increasing digital penetration in rural areas and an equal if not more unawareness about the harm of e-waste, drastic consequences are inevitable.

Composition & Regulatory Framework (E-Waste Rules, 2016)

Of the major components of e-waste, computers account for 70% and telecommunication equipment accounts for 12%. With more than 1 billion mobile phones in circulation, 25% more or less are destined to end up as e-waste annually more often than not as a landfill.

However, the picture is not all gloomy. India is among the few countries especially in Asia to have E-Waste Management Rules, 2016. But like all rules the implementation is sluggish. Through these rules, EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) was established giving significant responsibility to the producer to collect and recycle/reuse/dispose of their product from the end consumers extending from 30% to 70% in the next 7 years. But as said, due to the domination of the unorganized sector as a collection point the targets are more frequently underachieved. With 51 registered PROs (Producer Responsibility Organizations) with Central Pollution Control Board, we are still lagging behind in our targets. What has been the consistent problem with such rules is first they are heavily incentivising the treatment of e-waste rather than shifting to the producer-pay principle and secondly treatment of e-waste has been shifted to the organised sector without giving any consideration to the largest player in the game, the kabbadiwalas.

The Electric Vehicle (EV) Transition & Battery Lifecycle

To produce more electronic vehicles, we need more electrical components. Thus, dependency on e-raw material is only going to increase. One such case is batteries which make up somewhere between 40% to 50% of the cost of an EV. For a long time, there was not much improvement in battery technology apart from LIBs (Lithium-Ion batteries). But the current uptrend in electric mobility has again pushed the demand for better batteries that can not only run longer but have less idle discharge. This is an opportunity in disguise. Simply put, a deeper analysis of the life cycle of a car battery should be done before they are used.

Currently, India imports most of its components for EVs including batteries; thus a more efficient network of infrastructure should be built around their procurement, development and disposal. A pan-India platform for recycling and reuse laws should be clearly established and communicated by governments to avoid a landfill-like situation. Traditionally, battery recycling has been a costly affair but can be tackled by battery standardisation and institutionalising the collection and recycling process by implementing a nationwide monitoring and regulatory framework.

Another major reform could happen by funding or allocating appropriate financial resources for start-ups that work in the areas of e-waste management. Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) initiatives and organisational alliances (such as the STAR programme and Greentek alliances) can manufacture products with detachable, upgradable, and repairable modules.

International Best Practices & Global Standards

For our government, a start could be to observe and study international methods adopted abroad:

• Seoul Resource Centre (South Korea): Seoul is recognized as a premier zero-waste city model for e-waste recycling and material recovery.
• European Union WEEE Regulations: The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive clearly stipulates a minimum collection, recovery, and recycling target of 4 kg per capita per year on its member nations.
• UNU-SCYCLE Programme: Implementing international standard measurement methodologies created under United Nations University Sustainable Cycles.
• Academic Specialization: Introducing dedicated university course streams to build an educated workforce for e-waste management.
• Combatting Illegal Transboundary Movements: Using technologies like GPS tracking and geotagging to counter illegal foreign e-waste imports and unrecorded dumping in developing nations like India and China.

The Power of the Consumer & The Right to Repair

With everything said and done, the ace up our sleeves is that we are the consumer. How about segregating our waste for easy disposal or buying only the products which you need? Repair what can be repaired instead of exchanging it for a newer one. The Right to Repair can be a huge step in this direction. A simple step to replace incandescent bulbs with a more energy-efficient bulb could be a huge greener step. Question companies for employing tricks like planned-obsolescence to push consumers to buy new and buy more.

“Yes!!, technology is exciting. It does make our life simpler and easier. But answer me this, what would you rather have: the latest cell phone or fresh air to breathe?”

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References

• State of India’s Environment 2020 by CSE
• E-Waste Management in India- A study of current scenario
• Global E-Waste Monitor Report 2020
• E-Waste Management Rules, 2016
• Environmental Performance Index 2020

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Author may be reached at: Kainth100@gmail.com and eboard@icai.in