With the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and almost
everyone around the world switching to the work from
home model, and students attending online classes - it
has all led to a massive upsurge in the sale of gadgets.
While it has improved the efficacy of the work from
home, it has also increased accumulation of gadgets
that have outlived their usability and utility, products
that are damaged or have become outdated. This
assimilation of e-waste is harmful for health and
environment when discarded improperly. Therefore it is
imperative that e-waste is cleared and disposed of in a
safe and sustainable manner with minimal detrimental
effect on the environment.
Implementing Community Level E-waste Collection
Drives: We all have piles of electronic products lying
around that we either don’t use, or they are damaged
or have outgrown their utility. Attero recycling pvt ltd
states that these products are languishing in forgotten
corners of our homes because we have no clue how to
clear this electronic junk. Majority of us lack
knowledge about how to dispose of electronic waste
and end up disposing of them with our regular
garbage, which in turn ends up with municipal solid
waste. One of the best ways to resolve this issue is by
implementing community-level e-waste collection
drives.
Finding an authorised e-waste collector: This isn’t as
difficult as it may sound. A quick search on the internet and
you will be served with a plethora of options. However, the
question is how to find the right option. While searching for
e-waste collectors or recyclers, look for the ones authorised
by the Pollution Control Board. The Pollution Control Board
has a list of authorised recyclers, collectors and dismantlers.
Any one of these can be contacted for collection of e-waste.
However, in some cases, the waste needs to be dropped off
and this can prove particularly challenging. In such scenarios,
Producer Responsibility Organisations can be contacted as
they offer pick-up services for e-waste collection.
Sending off e-waste for recycling: The entire purpose of
aggregating e-waste and recycling them is to create a
circular economy. A circular economy is when a product
that reaches its end of life cycle is recycled or returned to
the consumer as a same or different product. Attero
recycling reviews that such products can also be reused
by donating or selling, also they can be refurbished and
used again. For instance, the screen of a laptop can still
be used, even if the laptop isn’t working. India in the
recent years have seen the rise of startups that have
taken up recycling and refurbishing of electronic
products and reintroducing them into the supply chain as
new products.
Avoiding Informal sector for e-waste disposing:
Kabbadiwalas have been the go-to-people for Indians to
dispose or rid off from waste or unwanted things and in
return earn some profit from it. Attero recycling reviews
that the local scrap dealers are strict NO, when it comes to
discarding the e waste. The most convenient way to
dispose of e-waste is by handing them over to the waste
collectors from the informal sector. However, it is an
unsafe practice and must be avoided. Industry experts
reason that it is unsafe because the issues include
inefficient recovery of resources from e-waste, zero
occupational or environment safety standards or
protocols, and no pollution control checks.
For a common man to follow safe e-waste disposing
practises, they must first understand what e-waste are:
Attero recycling pvt ltd explains that e-waste can consists
of things such as, large appliances, small IT equipments,
small appliances, air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers,
etc. Every company that manufactures such products also
mentions safe practices to be followed while disposing
them. One must follow these, while discarding them.
Attero recycling reviews that everyone must understand
that improper disposal of e-waste is a grave health and
environmental concern, and must adopt safe practices to
discard them without creating any detrimental effect to
the environment.