E-waste Recycling

Electronic waste or e-waste describes discarded electrical or electronic devices. Used electronics which are destined for refurbishment, reuse, resale, recycling through material recovery, or disposal are also considered e-waste. Informal processing of e-waste in developing countries can lead to adverse human health effects and environmental pollution. Electronic scrap components, such as CPUs, contain potentially harmful materials such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, or brominated flame retardants. Recycling and disposal of e-waste may involve significant risks to the health of workers and their communities. As per a report, India generated 1,014,961.2 tonnes of e-waste in 2019-2020, ranking third after USA and China. Electronic waste is becoming a critical public health emergency and environmental issue in the country. Out of this maximum 10 % is recycled through authorized methods and the remaining 90% of e-waste is either not processed or processed through the informal sector or goes to landfills. This causes to pollution of soil as well as water.