E-waste management to create 4.5 lakh direct jobs: World Bank group member

The electronic waste sector will create 4.5 lakh direct jobs by 2025 and another 1.8 lakh jobs in the allied sectors of transportation and manufacturing, International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank group, said Wednesday.

The IFC, which has been working in the e-waste sector since 2012, said under a programme launched by it in 2017, over 4,000 metric tons of e-waste has been collected from citizens and corporations and recycled responsibly under the programme.

Praising the IFC at the conference on 'E-Waste Management in India: The Way Forward', Environment Ministry official Sonu Singh said the government was happy to see the commitment from the IFC in helping the sector grow in a responsible manner.

"The e-waste sector has significant potential to contribute to the country's economy and generate employment. The electrical and electronics industry has been cooperating with the government and has shown considerable initiative for handling e-waste responsibly.

"If the responsibility is shared between the government, producers, and consumers of e-waste, then efficient management of e-waste can be successfully achieved in India. We are happy to see the commitment from IFC in helping the sector grow in a responsible manner, said Singh, Joint Director, Hazardous Substances Management Division, the Ministry of Environment.

Electronic waste or e-waste is discarded electrical or electronic devices. Used electronics destined for reuse, resale, salvage, recycling, or disposal are also considered e-waste.