The rapid expansion of the Information and Communication Technology sector has led to a significant increase in electronic waste (e-waste), making it one of the swiftly growing waste streams in the country, particularly Bengaluru. The exponential rise in the use of electronic equipment, coupled with the accelerated obsolescence and subsequent upgrading of these products, compels consumers to dispose of their old items.
According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), with Mumbai and Delhi standing in the first and second place, Bengaluru is the third largest e-waste generating city in India, accounting for about 10.1% tonnes of e-waste per year. Based on the study by the MeitY, considering the growth rate, the volume of e-waste in the country was 0.7 million metric tonnes (MT) in 2015 and is estimated to go up to 2 million MT by 2025.
Why is e-waste harmful?
Electronic items that have been discarded or reached the end of their lifespan, including computers, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices, home appliances, audio and video products, along with their associated peripherals, are commonly referred to as e-waste.
Due to E-waste, soil may suffer from the leaching of hazardous substances from landfills, water sources like rivers and wells can become contaminated, and air pollution can result from emitted gases and the burning of e-waste. Improper recycling processes pose risks to human health, including the inhalation of gases during recycling, skin contact with hazardous substances, and exposure during acid treatment in the recovery process.
According to MeitY, hazardous and toxic materials commonly found in e-waste encompass lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) within printed circuit boards (PCBs). Lead is typically present in most electronic products, assembly components, and cathode ray tubes (CRTs). Cadmium is found in monitors/CRTs, while mercury may exist in switches, flat screen monitors, CFL bulbs, relays, and specific other products. Cadmium is also used in computer batteries and for plating metal enclosures/parts in subassemblies. Polychlorinated biphenyls are found in capacitors and transformers, while brominated flame retardants are used on printed circuit boards, plastic casings, cables, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cable sheathing for insulation, and PBD/PBDE in plastic parts of electronics.
How to dispose of?
Despite being the technological center of the country, Bengaluru shows a lack of awareness regarding the proper disposal and sorting of e-waste. A survey by the Centre for Sustainable Development in 2022, part of its Environment Report Card, revealed that most city residents discard their e-waste along with regular household waste in all eight zones of the city. Only a small fraction of households chooses to sell or recycle their electronic waste.
While this behavior was observed in over 75% of households, in slum areas, only 3% reported using the government-designated bins for e-waste disposal. The survey, encompassing over 1,800 households, highlighted a general inefficiency in waste segregation across many zones, particularly in Bommanahalli and East zones where segregation rates stood at 10% and 18%, respectively. The report notes that electronic goods constitute about 2% of municipal solid waste (MSW).
E-waste can be disposed of at many authorised e-waste collection centres in Bengaluru whose contacts and addresses are available on the internet, and at the e-waste collection points at Bangalore One centres and at select post offices. Collection centres have been set up by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) for the disposal of e-waste across the city. Licences are also issued to refurbishers, recyclers, and dismantlers of e-waste. There are also several Producer Responsibility Organisations (PRO) working to responsibly recycle e-waste though whom e-waste can be disposed of.
What is a violation
Speaking to The Hindu, Harish Kumar, Special Commissioner, SWM, BBMP, said, “E-waste management is the responsibility of the KSPCB. It should not be mixed with municipal waste. There are separate agencies connected with the KSPCB that are responsible for management of e-waste. However the urban local bodies continue to support the agencies and KSPCB through segregation and authorising the set-up of the collection centres. There are many such vendors and agencies in Bengaluru that manage e-waste and are very citizen friendly.”
Rajbir Singh, Chief Marshal, BBMP, said that mixing of e-waste along with municipal waste is a violation. “Mixing of e-waste or any kind of waste along with dry waste or municipal waste is an offence and the BBMP is not responsible in management of e-waste. If it is noticed by any BBMP official or a marshal that a citizen or an organisation is mixing e-waste along with its municipal waste, the BBMP can fine the violators. Though BBMP is not directly responsible for managing e-waste, some of our waste collection centres also have the facility to collect e-waste and send it to the agencies responsible. Citizens can drop of their e-waste at these centres, if it is separated from the municipal waste.”
How to reduce e-waste
Speaking to The Hindu, Malini Parmar, a SWM expert and founder of Hasiru Dala, said that the focus should be shifted towards reduction of e-waste by using long-lasting electronic devices and the implementation of policies that provide cheaper service devices. “The management of e-waste in the city is well sorted, most apartments have a combined bin in which e-waste is disposed of, and then the agencies or vendors collect it. There are e-waste pick up drives that happen once a quarter in layouts too. However, what is important is the reduction of the generation of e-waste,“ she said.
“Generation of e-waste starts right from the manufacturers. We are very much focused on citizens managing waste, and there is not much focus on waste reduction. Many years ago, I started my career with HCL’s hardware sales department, when we used to sell computers back then, all computers were expandable. So people used a computer for at least 10 years. However, now the computers that are produced work for not more than a couple of years,” she said, citing examples where products do not upgrade even if their hardware is fine, since the new software does not support their products, forcing the user to upgrade to a new device. “We must make sure that we buy electronic gadgets that can run for at least 10 years,” said Malini Parmar.
She added that another important way to reduce the generation of e-waste is to imply the policy of the Right to Repair. “Europe had a very key legislation, that is the Right to Repair. This policy aims to make it easier and cheaper for consumers to repair defective goods. In India, if my mobile phone costs ₹15,000 and is damaged, it will cost me around ₹6,000 to get it fixed. The older the mobile phone gets, the costlier its spares become. In such circumstances, people would prefer to just buy a new device. Switching to user-friendly devices and bringing in a law that allows people to get their devices repaired anywhere, or at a low cost, will help reduction of e-waste enormously,” Malini Parmar added.
