E-waste

Centre earns ₹551 cr from scrap, e-waste disposal in cleanliness drive

The Centre has earned over Rs 550 crore from disposal of scrap during a month-long special cleanliness campaign, an official statement issued on Friday said. The Union government's "special campaign 5.0" for cleanliness and disposal of pending matters has witnessed record participation and measurable outcomes across ministries, departments and their field offices during October, this year, it said. During its implementation phase beginning from Gandhi Jayanti on October 2 to October 31, the ministries and departments conducted about 7 lakh cleanliness campaigns, achieving 97 per cent of the target, the statement issued by the Personnel Ministry said. During the campaign, 202.97 lakh square feet of office space was freed for productive use and about Rs 551 crore revenue earned through scrap and e-waste disposal, it said. A total of 6.69 lakh public grievances and 14,524 appeals were redressed, it said. About 13 lakh physical files were weeded out and 15.70 lakh e-files were reviewe

E-waste pollution is a bigger threat to India's air than stubble burning - How is Green Tech combating this?

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American e-waste is causing 'hidden tsunami' in Southeast Asia, report says

Millions of tons of discarded electronics from the United States are being shipped overseas, much of it to developing countries in Southeast Asia unprepared to safely handle hazardous waste, according to a new report released Wednesday by an environmental watchdog. The Seattle-based Basel Action Network, or BAN, said a two-year investigation found at least 10 US companies exporting used electronics to Asia and the Middle East, in what it says is a hidden tsunami of electronic waste. This new, almost invisible tsunami of e-waste is taking place ... padding already lucrative profit margins of the electronics recycling sector while allowing a major portion of the American public's and corporate IT equipment to be surreptitiously exported to and processed under harmful conditions in Southeast Asia, the report said. Growing e-waste --------------------- Electronic waste, or e-waste, includes discarded devices like phones and computers containing both valuable materials and toxic metals

Seelampur's e-waste economy moves to shadows but carries on silently

In the winding, congested alleyways of New Seelampur, a 500-foot stretch tucked deep inside east Delhi, life hums with the quiet rustle of wires, metal scraps, and fraying hopes. Every household here seems tied to the business of e-waste -- a world where old computers, phones, fridges, and their innards are torn down, stripped, sorted, and sold. But the story is no longer what it once was. As India's e-waste policy evolves and the gaze of enforcement agencies intensifies, the epicentre of one of the world's largest informal e-waste markets has quietly dispersed, not collapsed, but fragmented and slipped into the shadows. The business hasn't ended, it has just moved -- to Loni, Muradabad, Meerut and smaller towns where it thrives away from the eyes of the regulators, the media, and digital scrutiny. The volumes have not really reduced. The business is still alive, but just not visible in Delhi anymore, says Vinod, programme officer at Toxics Link, an environmental NGO. Two things

Envision Energy unveils India's first race car built entirely from e-waste

Envision Energy and EarthDay.org launch the Recover-E, India's first race car made from discarded electronics, to raise awareness of e-waste and circular design

Daikin, Hitachi, Voltas sue Centre over its new e-waste recycling rules

The government's new rules mandate a minimum payment of Rs 22 (25 US cents) per kilogram to recycle consumer electronics and Rs 34/kg for smartphones

From Daikin to Samsung, companies fight Indian govt over e-waste policy

Daikin, Hitachi and Samsung are among manufacturers raising concerns over new Indian government rules mandating significantly higher payments for recycling appliances like ACs, refrigerators and TVs

India sees 72% rise in electrical, electronic waste in 5 years : Govt

The country saw an increase of around 72 per cent in e-waste generated from electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) such as smartphones, computers, television sets and refrigerators over the past five years, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday. According to a written reply to a question by Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu, 10.14 lakh tonnes of e-waste was generated in 2019-20 and the figure climbed to 17.51 lakh tonnes in 2023-24. Sahu said 13,46,496 tonnes of e-waste was generated in 2020-21, 16,01,155 tonnes in 2021-22 and 16,09,117 tonnes in 2022-23. Under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016, 21 EEE items were notified and information about e-waste generated from these items is available for the last four years (2019-20 to 2022-23). These 21 items include laptops, telephones, cordless telephones, cellular telephones, smartphones, television sets, air-conditioners (excluding centralised air-conditioning plants) and washing machines. Accordi

Global e-waste generation rising 5 times faster than recycling, says UN

The world's electronic waste generation is increasing five times faster than documented e-waste recycling, according to the United Nation's fourth Global E-waste Monitor (GEM) report released on Wednesday. According to the report from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the 62 million tonnes of e-waste produced in 2022 would fill around 1.55 million 40-tonne trucks, equivalent to encircling the equator with trucks bumper-to-bumper. However, a mere 22.3 per cent of the year's e-waste mass was properly collected and recycled in 2022, leaving USD 62 billion worth of recoverable natural resources unaccounted for and heightening pollution risks globally. E-waste recycling currently meets just 1 per cent of rare earth element demand, the report said, highlighting a significant gap in resource recovery. It projected a steady increase in annual e-waste generation, rising by 2.6 million tonnes each year and expect

West Bengal village e-waste fair gives new life to electronic scrap

The fair offers a range of used gadgets and household goods at far reduced costs to new ones and provides an avenue for abandoned items to be reused and recycled

Vedanta-promoted Hindustan Zinc bets on industrial e-waste recycling

In September, Hindustan Zinc announced it would consider possible options for a separation of its business units into zinc, lead and silver, and recycling

Govt earns Rs 117 crore from scrap disposal during cleanliness campaign

An impressive revenue of over Rs 117 crore has been earned by the Centre from scrap disposal during the ongoing cleanliness campaign, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday. In addition, office space measuring 32.54 lakh square feet have been cleared and made available for use after clearing the junk, he said. Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel, commended the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), being the nodal agency, while reviewing the progress at the end of the first two weeks of special campaign 3.0 here. He appreciated the progress achieved in minimising pendency and institutionalising swachhata in the period of October 2-14, 2023, during the campaign that is being implemented in all government offices across the country. "The government has earned an impressive revenue of more than Rs 117 crore in the first two weeks of the ongoing swachhata special campaign 3.0, just by disposing of scrap," the minister said. He said massive ..

Growing e-waste an opportunity for manufacturers: Tech product makers

The increase in the amount of e-waste generation is an opportunity for manufacturers, according to technology product manufacturers. E-waste is an electronic product that is no longer needed, worn out, not working, or nearing the end of its utility for the user. These include wires to devices. "While e-waste is a growing environmental issue, this is an opportunity for manufacturers, customers and general public to come together and address the issue. At Dell, we employ closed-loop strategies... to create new products by recycling select materials from out-of-use technology," Nick Abbatiello, DELL Technologies' Experience Innovation Group Senior Distinguished Engineer, said. As various parts of the world embrace sustainable lifestyles, companies are recognising the need for a circular economy, where one waste ends up reused to become another product. Another manufacturer of personal computers, smartphones, televisions, and wearable devices -- Lenovo -- manages disposed of IT assets

Piramal Pharma is aiming to achieve zero waste to landfill by FY25

To achieve zero waste to landfill by FY2025, the company is taking a number of measures, including installing solvent recovery plants at its API and chemical plants

Mobile retail firm Celekt launches 'Mission E-waste' to protect environment

'Celekt Mobiles', a mobile retail chain on Friday announced the launch of 'Mission E-waste', an initiative aimed at combating electronic waste in India. 'Mission E-waste'-- initiative entails the installation of dedicated e-waste bins in every Celekt Mobiles store, allowing customers to responsibly dispose defunct mobiles, laptops, tablets and other electronic devices, a release said here. As a token of appreciation for this responsible action, customers will receive discount coupons ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,000, redeemable for up to six months on new purchases from Celekt stores, it said. Telangana Minister for IT and Industries K T Rama Rao, who inaugurated the 'Mission E-waste', expressed concern over the prevalent practice of retaining unused or malfunctioning devices rather than properly discarding them. The Minister praised Celekt Mobiles for the initiative and underscored the importance of their efforts in addressing the growing e-waste crisis, the release said. Cele

India has huge potential for recycling of electronic wastes: NITI Aayog CEO

NITI Aayog CEO B V R Subrahmanyam on Friday said that India has been trying to give a push to circular economy as there is a huge potential for recycling of electronic waste. Subrahmanyam also noted that India is extremely dependent on import of lithium and rare earth, key components in many electronic devices and various industrial applications, including medical technology, aerospace and defence. He pointed out that if electronic wastes are not recycled then it can damage and pollute the environment. "There is a huge potential for recycling of electronic waste," Subrahmanyam said. The NITI Aayog CEO said India is currently 5th largest economy and by 2030 it will become the third largest economy.

Dumping ground

India is a key importer of hazardous waste

Apple, Samsung lead sustainability but e-waste still major concern

Production of a smartphone is responsible for about 80 per cent of the total carbon footprint in its life cycle, and hence it is the most vital of the stages

Mobile industry agrees for phased roll-out of uniform device chargers: Govt

Smartphone companies and industry organisations have agreed to a phased rollout of a uniform charging port for all electronic devices, the Consumer Affairs Ministry said on Wednesday. A sub-group will be set up to examine the feasibility of uniform charging ports for wearables, it said. This was decided during a discussion in the meeting of the inter-ministerial task force chaired by Consumer affairs secretary Rohit Kumar Singh here. The representatives of industry associations such as MAIT, FICCI, CII, educational institutions, including IIT Kanpur, IIT (BHU), Varanasi as well as the central government ministries, including the Environment Ministry, attended the meeting. "Stakeholders agreed that a phased roll-out of the common charging port may be conducted so that the same can be applied by the industry and adopted by consumers harmoniously," an official statement said. In the meeting, a broad consensus emerged among stakeholders on the adoption of USB Type C as a charging por

Nearly 5.3 billion phones will join a hidden mine of e-waste this year

As countries scrutinise mineral supply chains needed to fuel the clean energy transition, one potential source is hiding in junk drawers and trash cans all over the world