In every community-driven waste management initiative, the usual suspects (which include kitchen waste and plastics) would be in full attendance. Electronic waste (e-waste) would be conspicuously absent. Partly because of the complexity involved in handling and disposing of e-waste. Not anymore. E-waste is now beginning to put in an appearance.
In and around Anna Nagar, there is a community-driven drive to collect and dispose of discarded electronic goods in an environment-friendly manner.
Residents of these neighbourhoods are helped by non-governmental organisations as well as groups engaged in e-waste management.
For example, a few months ago, the Madras Spice Ladies Circle 133 (MSLC 133), a voluntary organisation, launched an e-waste collection drive, in association with Industrial Waste Management Association and Tess-Amm, an e-waste recycler. Sandhya Grover, a resident of Anna Nagar and a member of the Association, offered her front yard as a drop-off point.
“One of the members of MSLC 133 saw discarded electronic items piled up in front of a school. Irresponsible disposal of e-waste can release toxins in our environment, leading to long-term health problems, especially in children. This made us realise the need to be responsible with our e-waste as well and we decided to organise a drive to collect e-waste from various households,” says Sandhya.
They printed flyers and created awareness about the drive, online too. Special carton boxes with the Ladies Circle India tags were kept at the drop-off point. During the drive that lasted three weeks, residents in and around Anna Nagar deposited their e-waste in these boxes. It is remarkable that nine out every 10 people who brought their e-waste were senior citizens.
Discarded electronic items, including printers, UPS systems, computer monitors, cellphones, wires and cables, computer parts, music players, laptops, chargers, cameras, video game consoles, CDs and DVDs were collected.
Tes-Amm picked up the e-waste from the drop-off point.
“This drive ensured that all the e-waste collected were recycled as per environment protection guidelines,” she adds.
Jasmine, a resident of Harrington Road, religiously segregates her waste, including unusable electronic items. As she was looking for a way to dispose of her e-waste in a responsible manner, she sought the help of Virogreen, an e-waste recycler.
“I was disappointed with the way the Corporation handled e-waste. That’s why I had to turn to organisations that exclusively managed e-waste,” she says.
She roped in other residents as well. “A couple of my neighbours, as well as the neighbours of my friend in another locality, deposited their discarded electronic items in my house.”
Some e-waste recycling companies spread awareness at corporates houses as well as schools. Some are even incentivised.
It was at one such camp that Akash Agarwal, a resident of Moggapair West, learnt how he could discard his electronic goods. “I used to throw my e-waste without any due consideration. Later, I did a study on e-waste and its impact on environment and that was an eye-openor,” says Akash.
Before relocating to Bengaluru for work, he gave away his unusable desktop and cordless phones to Tes-Amm.
What happens to the e-waste
*Once electronic items are collected at drop-off points, e-waste recyclers take them to their facility to weigh the waste, dismantle and initiate the recovery
process of various sub-units in the gadgets.
*Each e-waste will be sent to its respective processing unit.
*CDs, hard disks or any item with data storage will be subject to data erasing system.
*Plastic parts in discarded e-waste items will be sent to plastic recyclers, who will pyrolyse it. These are then used as fuel for various industries. For example, furnace oil for boiler furnace.
*The printed circuit board (PCB) will be crushed to powder and sent to a recycler specialising in this branch. Heavy metal and other valuable metal will be retrieved.
Metal items will be sent to scrap dealers.
*The remaining hazardous materials, including mercury, which cannot be disposed of or recycled in any way, are stabilised and sent to secure landfills in Gummidipoondi.
*The Industrial Waste Management Association (IWMA), formed on the directive of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, facilitates safe and scientific disposal of the solid wastes from industries as per the Hazardous Waste (Management and Handling) Rules and Environment Protection Act. They have six plus authorised e-waste recycling companies registered with them.
(With inputs from IWMA, Virogreen and TES-AMM)
