India generated 3.3 lakh tonnes of e-waste in 2007 while illegal imports saw another 50,000 tonnes add up to this. The study done by hardware association MAIT and GTZ projected this figure to touch 4.7 lakh tonnes by 2011. While the study looked at PCs, mobiles and TVs, it did not take into account some other electronic equipment and consumer durables, which would also fall in the same bracket. What is of consternation is that out of the total amount, hardly 40 percent was recycled while the rest lies dumped and uncollected. A small five percent is processed. The communication sector contributes an increasing amount of waste by way of mobile phones, servers, routers, etc., thanks to a huge obsolescence rate. With over one crore population using mobile phones and the average weight of a set being 100 gm, that alone adds up to one lakh tonnes. In another two years at least 50 per cent of this is expected to be obsolete which means 50,000 tonnes in the dump. Household wastes like television sets, tubelights, batteries, audio and video equipment, kitchen appliances, refrigerators and batteries are slowly adding to the stockpile. As buying power and consumerism spread their reach, the problem is all set to cause serious hazards to human health and the environment.
In India, it is the backyard dismantling and recycling practices that is the most serious problem. With lack of facilities, for instance the process of recovering copper from wires and cables simply means burning the PVC and releasing gases that pollute and are toxic. There is need to integrate this informal sector into a formal platform. Not only is there a need to make the recycling process less hazardous but also to reclaim some precious metals. The colour LCDs contain indium which is a scarce element being depleted fast. The amount of precious elements in mobile phones is considerable, as also in circuit boards.
E-waste cannot be treated as part of municipal waste and incinerated or dumped in landfills. There is need for separate guidelines. It is not e-waste that is hazardous but the process of recycling the waste that is. This must be stressed or even the collection which is nowhere near the desired level will be further hampered. Unless we address the issue now, the bomb will be difficult to defuse.
