CII youth wing kickstarts campaign against e-waste

Young Indians, the youth wing of the Confederation of India Industry (CII), has kicked off an e-waste campaign to spread awareness about the safe and lawful disposal of electronic wastes, an office bearer said on Thursday.

Under this campaign, participation of corporate institutions, schools and colleges has been sought with the sole aim of informing people of the hazards that e-waste poses to their well-being, said Divij Narain, the chairman of Young Indians Lucknow Chapter.

"We propose to take this initiative to every nook and corner of the city and even take it to the independent households so that it results into a serious awakening and timely course correction for the denizens of the city," he told IANS.

"Our world is entering an age of unprecedented risks and opportunities. There is immense pressure on our natural resources and carbon emissions are alarmingly high. The environment is suffering as are the people," said Gaurav Prakash, founder chair.

"The unlawful disposal of electronic waste has also raised an alarm for the environment and has become a major concern for the world to address with an immediate effect."

The campaign is trying to set into motion the notion of 5 R's -- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Replenish and Restore -- into practice with the joint efforts of the government, industry and the civil society.