Page 54 - Mann Ki Baat January, 2023
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Issues of e-Waste and the Importance of
the Concept of 'Waste to Wealth'
more sustainable approach to
e-waste management.
Even though India has
increased e-waste collection
and processing by four times
in four years, 95% of e-waste
is illegally handled by the
informal sector. The informal
waste pickers do not follow
environmental standards and
burn materials that cannot be
recycled or diverted to landfills,
potentially causing severe
Jagdish Mitra environmental damage and
health hazards.
Chief Strategy Officer,
India processed 3.4 lakh
Tech Mahindra, metric tonnes of e-waste in
Chairman, FICCI – Science 2020-2021. According to the
Central Pollution Control Board
Technology and Innovation (CPCB), the generation of plastic
Committee waste per year is increasing
by 3%, and the generation of
e-waste is even higher, with
waste produced totaling 7.1 lakh
metric tonnes in 2018–19 and
10.14 lakh metric tonnes in 2019-
20. Every year, there is a 31%
increase.
The Government has
e-Waste refers to electronic taken a number of steps to
devices that are discarded formalize the e-waste recycling
as waste, such as computers, sector of the country. The
televisions, cell phones, and e-waste (Management) Rules,
household appliances. With the 2016 provide for compulsory
rapid pace of technological registration of the recycling
advancements, the amount of units and Central Pollution
e-waste generated globally is Control Board (CPCB) has issued
growing at an alarming rate. In guidelines/Standard Operating
fact, it is estimated that by 2050, Procedures for the processing
e-waste will account for up to of e-waste. The CPCB and State
120 million tonnes annually. Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)
Today in India, e-waste have been monitoring the units
collection is a source of income and necessary steps have
for many but also exposes a been taken to mainstream and
range of risks to people handling modernize the recycling industry
it. e-Waste management is also with the help of the Ministry of
an opportunity for having a Electronics and Information
circular economy bringing in a Technology.
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