Over 50% Indians may be Hoarding E-waste

About 50 percent of Indians may be hoarding hazardous e-waste for up to five years. For example, at least two unused electrical or electronic devices will be in every Indian home, a survey has revealed.

In India, about 50 percent of the households may be hoarding hazardous e-waste for up to five years, reveals a survey.

The survey, conducted by Cerebra Green and MAIT, said that another 30 per cent kept 3-4 articles whereas 20 per cent hoarded five or more unused e-waste devices for several years, thereby increasing the possibility of their incorrect disposal.

E-waste Processing in India Poses Several Health Risks, Warns the UN
Discarding electronic waste without proper safeguards in India increases the risk for health and environmental dangers, warns the UN

‘E-waste comprising EEEs will be collected from homes by collection officers, as India's e-waste output is estimated to touch a staggering three million tonnes by December 2018.’

However, eight out of 10 Indians are aware of e-waste and the importance of special measures to dispose off it properly, but they do not use the right methods owing to lack of proper avenues for disposal, said Cerebra Integrated Technologies Managing Director V. Ranganathan.

Around 68 per cent participants in the survey said that they did not consider local waste collectors as a viable option to dispose e-waste, a view which was supported by the waste collectors themselves as 72 percent of them don't collect e-waste in their areas.

"This forces 90 percent of the people to dispose their e-waste either through local electronics vendors or online exchanges," Ranganathan said.

Attero Organizes E-Waste Collection Drive in Delhi, Noida
Attero, India's largest electronic asset management company organized an e-waste collection drive in the Delhi-NCR region to address the e-waste problem.

Presently, he said, India's e-waste output is estimated to touch a staggering three million tonnes by December 2018, which would need effective, safe and environment-friendly disposal.

While industries generate 70 percent of the e-waste, households contribute 15 percent and the rest comprises discarded 'end of life' electrical and electronic equipment (EEEs).

More E-waste from Developing Nations by 2016
Developing countries will produce more electronic waste by 2016, a new research has shown.

Cerebra Green has now tied up with Manufacturers Associations of Information and Technology (MAIT), Ministry of Electronics and IT and the Ministry of Environment to launch an 'India Cleanup Week' (October 13-19), which could be the biggest initiative of its kind for proper disposal of e-waste.

E-waste comprising EEEs will be collected from homes by collection officers. Public collection centres will be opened for people to deposit their e-waste while pick-up trucks will be deployed for big establishments across major cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad.

New Research Suggests 'E-Waste Pollution' is a Threat to Human Health
Researchers have now linked e-waste to adverse effects on human health, such as inflammation and oxidative stress.

Source-IANS