Household appliances comprise majority of Goa's e-waste: Study

Almost 85 per cent of the e-waste collected in Goa comprises household appliances and personal devices like air-conditioners, refrigerators, TVs and computers, according to a study conducted by a state-run body.

Higher disposable income and ease of procurement have resulted in significantly higher use of electronic devices, leading to more e-waste generation in the coastal state, says the study done by the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC).

A considerable amount of this e-waste is generated in the tourist hot-spots of Bardez taluka in North Goa district and Salcette taluka in South Goa district, it says.

"Over 85 per cent of Goa's e-waste is household appliances and personal devices like ACs, refrigerators, television sets and computers, even though there is no prevalent system for collection, storage and recycling of this waste," says the study.

Household appliances like the ACs contribute to around 23 per cent of the e-waste in the state, followed by refrigerators-20 per cent and washing machines-14 per cent.

Similarly, personal devices like TV sets account for 12 per cent of this waste, computers-10 per cent, laptops-five per cent and mobiles-three per cent, it says.

"During a special awareness drive conducted from February to August this year, the highest e-waste generation of 1,533.71 kg was noted in Salcette taluka, followed by 1,420.05 kg in Bardez," a senior GWMC official said.

Besides, the e-waste generation in Tiswadi area (North Goa) was 974.96 kg and in Ponda (South Goa)-848.11 kg during that period, he said.

The addition of a range of cheap and less durable products in the market has led to a rise in per capita use and consumerism, he noted.

"With about 80 per cent of the e-waste coming from households in the state, majority of its disposal and processing takes place in the unorganised sector - through scrap dealers and take-back mechanisms," the study says.

The state-run corporation has now appointed a technical consultant to carry out an inventorization and study trends in e-waste generation in the state, the official said.

The GWMC, in association with e-waste management solutions provider 'Karo Sambhav', has been conducting awareness sessions on the issue in schools, colleges, industries and other places, he said.

The corporation has identified two plots of 4,000 sq m each in Sanguem (South Goa) and Pissurlem (North Goa) for the purpose of e-waste management in the state.

The tendering process is on to identify an operator to set up a dismantling facility, which will cater to around 15 tonnes of e-waste per day, he added.