What is e waste management?
E waste is any abandoned electrical or electronic equipment. If some item at a store is not sold, it is dumped. When e-waste is buried, toxic chemicals naturally leach from the metals within, making it more hazardous.
Here are a few instances of electronic garbage that requires quick disposal:
-Personal computers (including keyboards, displays, mice, and connections), printers, scanners, mobile phones (smart and feature phones), and laptops are examples of IT e-waste.
-Consumer e-waste includes refrigerators, washing machines, television sets, air conditioners and fluorescent lights.
e-waste has a negative impact!
Many toxic metallic pollutants, such as lead, cadmium and beryllium, as well as brominated flame retardants, can be found in electronic equipment’s. Iron, copper, aluminium, gold, and other metals make for more than 60% of e-waste, whereas plastics account for around 30% and hazardous pollutants account for just about 2.70%. Lead is the most extensively utilized dangerous heavy metal in electronic equipment for a range of functions, resulting in a variety of health problems due to environmental pollution. Lead gets into biological systems through food, water, air, and soil.
How critical is e-waste management?
Phones are used by over 66.5 percent of the world's population. Over 5 billion individuals own mobile smartphones. An individual's phone is typically upgraded every three to four years. This is only a subset of one sort of e-waste.
Do you know where your old electronics were disposed of? Or what became of them? The haphazard disposal of e-waste pollutes the environment!
Toxins are released during the dismantling and processing of e-waste in the informal sector. Workers in this industry, which includes youngsters, are at a significant risk of getting illnesses as a result of long-term exposure to these chemicals. The E-Waste Management Rules, 2016, were implemented to close these loopholes in the system, formalize electronic waste management, and legitimize professional e-waste recyclers.
How is e-waste managed?
India primarily relies on the unorganized sector for e-waste recycling because there are just a few organized e-waste recycling facilities. Over 95 percent of the country's e-waste is handled and processed in the majority of urban slums, where unskilled personnel perform risky processes without personal protective equipment, endangering not only their health but also the environment.
Here are a few instances of effective e-waste management:
a) Plastic recovered from e-waste is repurposed to manufacture insulators, trays, and fence posts.
b) Metal is separated, melted, and recycled into new items.
c) Mercury extracted from e-waste is sent to specialist facilities for recovery.
d) Other non-recyclable or non-recoverable materials are sent to authorized Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities (TSDF).
Conclusion
The dangerous nature of e-waste is one of the world's quickly expanding environmental challenges. The growing volume of e-waste caused by a lack of knowledge and insufficient expertise is exacerbating the situation.
A considerable number of employees in India are involved in the crude disassembly of these electronic products for a living, and their health is at danger; hence, there is an urgent need to create a preventative strategy in regard to the health concerns of e-waste handling among these individuals. These employees should be given the necessary information on e-waste safety and personal protection.
Talk to one of our advisers at Netsol Water now to discover more about waste management practices and how your company can go greener. Contact us at +91-9650608473 or drop a mail at enquiry@netsolwater.com to remain up to date regarding the latest techniques to enhance your business's waste management.