SEMINAR REPORT

THE ELECTRONIC
WASTE PROBLEM

Submitted By:

Saksham Garg

UE6458
Table of Contents
THE ELECTRONIC WASTE PROBLEM.........................................................................................1
Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................2
What is E-Waste?.............................................................................................................................3
Why is E-Waste a problem?.............................................................................................................4
E-Waste: Growth.............................................................................................................................4
E-Waste Hazards..........................................................................................................................5
E-waste: It’s implications.................................................................................................................5
Status of Information on E-Waste...............................................................................................5
E-Waste: Main Sources....................................................................................................................6
Amounts of E-Waste:...................................................................................................................7
Need for Legal Framework..............................................................................................................7
Objectives.....................................................................................................................................8
Ingredients of legislation.................................................................................................................8
LEGISLATION ON ELECTRONIC WASTE....................................................................................8
Existing Legislation:.....................................................................................................................9
Proposed e-Waste Solution..............................................................................................................9
E-Waste must be managed responsibly.........................................................................................10
What can you do?........................................................................................................................11
Recycle E-Waste......................................................................................................................11
An Indian Prospective....................................................................................................................11
Growing concern over India's e-waste.......................................................................................12
What is being done?...................................................................................................................13
Government initiative.............................................................................................................13
Corporate initiative.................................................................................................................13
Purpose...................................................................................................................................13
References:.....................................................................................................................................14
What is E-Waste?

Electronic waste or e-waste is any broken or unwanted electrical or electronic

appliance.
E-waste includes computers, entertainment electronics, mobile phones and other items
that have been discarded by their original users.

E-waste is the inevitable by-product of a technological revolution. Driven primarily by

faster, smaller and cheaper microchip technology, society is experiencing an evolution in
the capability of electronic appliances and personal electronics. For all its benefits,
innovation brings with it the byproduct of rapid obsolescence. According to the EPA,
nationally, an estimated 5 to 7 million tons of computers, televisions, stereos, cell
phones, electronic appliances and toys, and other electronic gadgets become obsolete
every year. According to various reports, electronics comprise approximately 1 – 4
percent of the municipal solid waste stream. The electronic waste problem will continue
to grow at an accelerated rate. Electronic, or e-waste, refers to electronic products being
discarded by consumers.
These include:
• Televisions and computer monitors
• Computers and computer peripherals
• Audio and stereo equipment
• VCRs and DVD players
• Telephones, cellular phones and other wireless devices

Computer monitors and older television picture tubes contain an average of four pounds
of lead. In addition to lead, electronics can contain chromium, cadmium, mercury,
beryllium, nickel, and zinc. When electronics are not disposed of or recycled properly,
these toxic materials can present problems.
The sheer amount of electronic equipment that we buy, depend on, enjoy and
then discard has resulted in a growing environmental challenge – E-Waste. Each year
hundreds of thousands of computers, monitors, televisions, printers, copiers, fax
machines, cell phones and other electronics become obsolete to consumers. Rapid
advances in technology, a demand for new features and even planned obsolescence
accelerate the generation of old, unwanted electronics. E-Waste, however, provides a
more complex challenge beyond the numbers. E-Waste contains metals and other
materials that can be hazardous not only to the environment but to human health if not
properly managed. The overall challenge is to find ways to reduce the amount of E-
Waste being generated followed by ways to reuse, recycle or properly dispose of older
equipment.
Why is E-Waste a problem?

• E-waste is the most rapidly growing waste problem in the world.

• It is a crisis of not quantity alone but also a crisis born from toxics ingredients,
posing a threat to the occupational health as well as the environment.
• Rapid technology change, low initial cost, high obsolescence rate have resulted in
a fast growing problem around the globe.
• Legal framework, proper collection system missing.
• Imports regularly coming to the recycling markets.
• Inhuman working conditions for recycling.

VERY SEVERE PROBLEM

In USA alone?

• Between 1997 and 2007, nearly 500 million personal computers became
obsolete-almost two computers for each person.
• 750,000 computers expected to end up in landfills this year alone.
• In 2005, 42 million computers were discarded
• 25 million in storage
• 4 million recycled
• 13 million land filled
• 0.5 million incinerated
These figures in Europe are much similar.

E-Waste: Growth

IT and telecom are two fastest growing industries in the country.

• India, by 2008, should achieve a PC penetration of 65 per 1,000 from the existing
14 per 1,000 (MAIT)
• At present, India has 15 million computers. The target being 75 million
computers by 2010.
• Over 2 million old PCs ready for disposal in India.
• Life of a computer reduced from 7 years to 3-5 years.
• E-Waste: Growth Over 75 million current mobile users, expected to increase to
200 million by 2007 end.
• Memory devices, MP3 players, iPods etc. are the newer additions.
• Preliminary estimates suggest that total WEEE generation in India is
approximately 1, 46,000 tonnes per year.
Three categories of WEEE account for almost 90% of the generation:
Large Household appliances: 42.1%
Information and communications: 33.9%
technology equipment
Consumer Electronics: 13.7%

E-Waste Hazards
Average PC of approx. 31.5 kg wt. contains: Two million Obsolete PCs would mean:
7.24 kg - Plastics 14,427,000 kg
1.98 kg - Lead 3,962,700 kg
0.693g - Mercury 1,386 kg
0.4095g - Arsenic 819 kg
2.961g - Cadmium 5,922 kg
1.98g - Chromium 3,969 kg
9.92g - Barium 19,845 kg
4.94g - Beryllium 9,891 kg

E-waste: It’s implications

• Electronic products often contain hazardous and toxic materials that pose
environmental risks if they are land filled or incinerated.
• Televisions, video and computer monitors use cathode ray tubes (CRTs), which
have significant amounts of lead.
• Printed circuit boards contain primarily plastic and copper, and most have
small amounts of chromium, lead solder, nickel, and zinc.
• In addition, many electronic products have batteries that often contain nickel,
cadmium, and other heavy metals. Relays and switches in electronics,
especially older ones, may contain mercury.
• Also, capacitors in some types of older and larger equipment
that is now entering the waste stream may contain
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

Status of Information on E-Waste

Data on the impacts of e-waste is limited
 • Exposure pathways have not been clearly unidentified
• Long-term effects on environmental health and human health are still unknown
• Increased awareness and education are needed

E-Waste: Main Sources

• Imports;
• Govt., public and private sector discards (over 70%);
 • PC retailers, manufacturers;
• Secondary market of old PCs; and
• Individual Households.

Amounts of E-Waste:
The amount and composition of E-Waste reported are available from various sources
and vary widely. The sources listed in this FYI represent the latest information available.
Consumer electronics comprised about 1.2 percent or 2.8 million tons of the municipal
solid waste (MSW) generated nationwide according to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). South Carolinians generated 4.7 million tons of
MSW in FY 2005. Based on the U.S. EPA’s rate, an estimated 56,025 tons of E-Waste
was generated in the state. Only 728 tons of E-Waste was reported recycled according to
the S.C. Solid Waste Management Annual Report for FY 2005. About 20 million
televisions become obsolete each year according to a 2003 report by the International
Association of Electronics Recyclers. About 20.6 million computers became obsolete in
1998 according to the National Safety Council. Americans purchased about 20 million
computers, another 7.8 million computer monitors and nearly 20 million televisions in
2004 according to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). What do the CEA
numbers “mean” for South Carolina? Based on the state’s population (1.44 percent of
the total U.S. population or 4.25 million of 296.4 million), it is estimated that South
Carolinians bought about 288,000 computers, another 112,000 monitors and about
287,000 televisions in 2004.

Need for Legal Framework

• Ban on total imports of E waste.

• Domestic legal framework to address these gaps in import of E Waste
• Need to address safe disposal of domestic waste.
 • Tie recycling in with take-back product responsibility.

Objectives
• Conduct environmental contamination evaluation of typical e-waste recycling
sites.
• Study body loading of different toxic chemicals in human milk, placenta and
hair samples collected from workers and local residents.
• Assess toxic effects of different toxic chemicals generated during the e-waste
recycling processes, by means of bioassay tests.
• Assess fates of toxic chemicals, in different ecological compartments; and
uptake & bioaccumulation in workers (& local residents) using different
models.

Ingredients of legislation

• The Framework should address the issue of E waste imports for reuse and
recycling.
• Attract investment in this sector.
• Link up activities of informal sector with formal sector.
• Provide for appropriate framework for processes.
• Promote adequate ESM technologies for recycling.

• Incorporate precautionary principles and polluter pays.

• Concept of EPR.

• Adopt Consultative process.

LEGISLATION ON ELECTRONIC WASTE

More and more states are drafting legislation for the environment-friendly disposal of
electronic waste. States have begun to address the e-waste problem by taking steps to
ban cathode ray tubes (CRTs) from landfills, imposing fees to fund recycling programs
and having state agencies study ways to reduce the amount of waste.
One model to the e-waste problem is to impose a fee on new electronic equipment that
is used to fund recycling programs. Another option to the growth of e-waste is to require
manufacturers to develop and fund programs to collect and recycle the devices they
make. The benefit of this type of legislation is it makes manufacturers more responsible
for coming up with a solution to the e-waste problem by making more environmentally
friendly products.

Existing Legislation:
• Trans-boundary movement of E waste covered under the Basel convention.
• India ratified the convention in 1992.
• Waste listed in list A and list B which prohibits such movements.
• Waste importers exploit such gaps as listed in the convention.
• Allowed to import against a license.
• Covered under the “Hazardous Waste Amended Rules, 2003” in List A and B
of Schedule 3.
• The Rule is inadequate to handle generation, transportation and disposal of
this complex waste
• Regulators unable to monitor and regulate the informal sector.
• DGFT and Foreign Trade Policy 2002-07 trade and licensing – not under free
imports.

Proposed e-Waste Solution

• Create incentives to recycle

– Large quantity generators ≥ $40,000/year in tax credits

 – Individual tax payers receive one $15 credit/year for recycling one or more
units of e-Waste

• Re-evaluate program in three years

– It may become illegal to throw away e-Waste if adequate recycling

infrastructure is available to public

• Potential issues

– Nothing in legislation mandates recycling

center creation

– Re-use incentives noticeably absent

• Reuse is the environmentally preferable option by extending the life of old

equipments that defers the pollution and resource consumption associated with
in making new products.

• Reuse provides opportunity, to the underprivileged that cannot afford or

have no access to electronic equipment, at reduced or no cost.

• Electronic equipments which commercially & practically not good for

reuse or is broken beyond repair, may be sent for disassembly i.e.
salvaging parts, and selling reclaimed materials like ferrous, non ferrous, plastic,
glass.

• Several electronic equipment, such as computers, monitors, printers, and

scanners, contain materials suitable for reclamation and use in new
products. These may include plastic, glass, steel, aluminum, copper, gold, silver,
and other metals.

E-Waste must be managed responsibly.

Electronics are one of the largest known sources of heavy metals and organic pollutants
in the waste stream. Some electronics – usually those with cathode ray tubes (CRTs),
circuit boards, batteries and mercury switches – contain hazardous or toxic materials
such as lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium and some types of flame retardants. CRTs
are a particular concern. CRTs are the glass “picture tubes” in computer monitors,
television sets and other video display devices that amplify and focus high-energy
electron beams to create the image seen on the screen. In order to protect consumers
from radiation, the glass in CRTs contains lead. Lead, in fact, makes up about 20
percent of the weight of each CRT or anywhere from four to eight pounds per unit
according to some studies. Although the lead probably is not an environmental issue
while the monitor or television remains intact, the lead may be released under typical
conditions at a landfill.

What can you do?

You can reduce the environmental impact of your E-Waste by making changes in your
buying habits, looking for ways to reuse including donating or recycling. Preventing
waste to begin with is the preferred waste management option. Consider, for example,
upgrading or repairing instead of buying new equipment to extend the life of your
current equipment and perhaps save money. If you must buy new equipment, consider
donating your still working, unwanted electronic equipment. This reuse extends the life
of the products and allows non-profits, churches, schools and community organizations
to have equipment they otherwise may not be able to afford. In South Carolina, for
example, Habitat for Humanity Resale Stores, Goodwill and other similar organizations
may accept working computers. When buying new equipment, check with the retailer or
manufacturer to see if they have a “take-back program” that allows consumers to return
old equipment when buying new equipment. Dell Computers, for example, became the
first manufacturer to set up a program to take back any of its products anywhere in the
world at no charge to the consumer. And, when buying, consider products with longer
warranties as an indication of long-term quality.

Recycle E-Waste.
E-Waste can be recycled. Some components of E-Waste such as precious metals have
considerable value on the recycling market, but frequently are difficult and expensive to
process (dismantle, clean and sort) because of their toxicity.
USA has a state contract for schools and school districts, colleges and universities and
state agencies to use to recycle computers and other electronic equipment. Other
government entities also may use the contract. As mentioned, there was legislation
introduced in 2006 in USA that would set up a statewide program to recycle E-Waste.

An Indian Prospective
Growing concern over India's e-waste
Mountains of e-waste - discarded parts of computers, mobile phones and other
consumer electronics equipment - are quietly creating a new environmental problem in
India. Besides waste generated within the country, India amongst other Asian countries
is witnessing ‘dumping’ from western countries. Thirty million computers are thrown
out every year in the US alone, and many of these are dumped in India and China.
Concerns are being raised on the impact of this dumping on both the country's
environment, and its people. The problem is that these computers, which are quite old,
have a lot of toxic material in them. Computer components for instance, contain lead
and cadmium in circuit boards; lead oxide and cadmium in monitor cathode ray tubes
(CRTs); mercury in switches and flat screen monitors; cadmium in computer batteries;
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in older capacitors & transformers; and brominated
flame retardants on printed circuit boards, plastic casings, cables and polyvinyl chloride
(PVC) cable insulation that release highly toxic dioxins and furans when burned to
retrieve copper from the wires. When extraction or recondition is attempted over these
electronic items, toxic chemicals and heavy metals are released into the air, which are
disastrous for the environment. Due to the hazards involved, disposing and recycling E-
waste has serious health, legal and environmental implications. These materials are
complex and difficult to recycle in an environmentally sound manner even in well-
developed countries. The recycling of computer waste requires sophisticated technology
and processes, which are not only very expensive, but also need specific skills and
training for the operation.
As a result, e-waste from countries like United States, South Africa, Hong Kong etc.
heads to India, China and Bangladesh because computer recycling is “good business”,
with much money to be made. Computer recycling involves employing people to strip
down the computers and extract parts that can be used again in machines to be sold on
the high street. The rest is then burned or dumped, both of which are potentially highly
hazardous to the environment. The process of extraction uses all kinds of chemicals, like
acids - which then get dumped into the soil and go into the groundwater.
What is being done?

Government initiative
The Union Government has formed a special cell in the Ministry of Environment and
Forests, Govt. of India. The Ministry is in the process of drawing up an action plan to
contain and manage e-waste. It is also possible that the government could impose ban
on dumping electronic waste in the country. In Delhi, the state government is planning
to bring in legislation to manage electronic waste in the capital. The legislation will
make it mandatory for industries producing electronic goods to take them back. Delhi
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit asked senior officials of the government to draw up the
legislation. This law will prevent the MCD from managing electronic waste and will
instead lay the onus on the industries.

Corporate initiative
Many producers are expected to take responsibility for their products throughout their
lifecycle, under a new concept called Extended Producer Responsibility, or EPR.
According to this, Corporations assume the liabilities associated with the final fate of
their products, where companies are now being required to phase-out a number of
hazardous substances in electronic products and take back their discarded products for
recycling. Environmental Groups Greenpeace, the Basel Action Network (BAN), Toxics
Link (India), and the Korea Zero Waste Movement Network (KZWMN) are the major
groups working on the issues of electronic waste. The report “Scrapping the High Tech
Myth: Computer Waste in India'' was the pioneering work on e-waste in the whole of
South Asia, by Toxics Link.

Purpose
Developing countries including India have also been witnessing an unwarranted export
of these toxic materials from developed countries. As conscious consumers and citizens,
it is imperative for us to be aware of these issues. The seminar aims to sensitize
stakeholders about various issues on toxicity, discuss the policies regarding e-waste
management in the country and how corporate can partner with non-governmental
organizations for better electronic waste management practices.
References:

• www.scdhec.gov/recycle.

• :http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=13910603,

• http://www.e-waste.in/about/

• naturalnews.com

• mineralpolicy.org

• toxicslink.org

• scidev.net

• wikipedia.com