A study on E-Waste Management practices in India

The generation of e-waste has been increasing rapidly due to the obsolescence of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) as well as the increased use of these products around the globe; millions of tons of e-waste are created every year.  Many people will keep obsolete EEE products in their homes, while others may sell them to local recyclers for reuse and/or profit. Currently, there is no legally mandated framework for the collection and management of e-waste. Consequently, there is no systematic collection of e-waste within jurisdictions. Illegal workers (unskilled and untrained) are responsible for the collection, transport, sorting, disassembly, recycling and disposal of e-waste informally. Workers are typically low-wage employees with little regard for their own occupational safety, environmental safety or e-waste management processes. There has been a massive increase in EEE globally to help bridge the digital divide and, therefore, to help address the fundamental issue of the environmental impact of ICT waste. E-waste management legislative efforts have been slow to develop; the current state of EEE management legislation is ineffective. So as to raise awareness among the general public, more must be done to educate consumers about e-waste, as well as strengthen the laws that can help impede any future increases in e-waste production. There must also be an immediate creation of proper educational programs that can assist with the ability to implement standardized processes and procedures, along with developing an understanding of government regulations and best practices to properly manage e-waste in accordance with global best practices.

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