The Hindu                       15.04.2013

e-waste disposal to be streamlined

e-waste generation is estimated to be higher in Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.-File Photo: Mohammed Yousuf

There appears to be an end in sight for the threat posed by e-waste, resulting from obsolete electronic gadgets in the city.

Hyderabad
has been included in the Clean E-India programme for responsible
collection and recycling of e-waste being jointly launched by the World
Bank’s arm International Finance Corporation and Attero Recycling. The
city is among the four cities, the other three being Delhi, Mumbai and
Ahmedabad where e-waste generation is estimated to be higher.

The
initiative comes in the light of alarming rise in e-waste generation in
major cities across the country from 1.46 lakh tonne in 2005 to around 8
lakh tonne at present and growing. A United Nations report projects
that by 2020, e-waste from computers would dramatically increase by 500
percent in India and that from discarded mobile phones will increase 18
times from the 2007 levels.

Attero chief operating
officer Rohan Gupta says even if Hyderabad accounted for a meagre two
per cent to the projected national figures, it would contribute about
15,000 tonne of e-waste. “Estimates, however, point that the city
accounts to close to 25,000 tonne of e-waste. AP Pollution Control Board
has a project for inventorisation of e-waste with assistance from the
World Bank,” he told
The Hindu
.

Attero saw a business opportunity in the project in
that it will secure huge quantum of material for recycling and
processing that could generate good amount of metal and other elements
of commercial proposition. “More material we process, the more metal we
can extract from the waste,” he said.

E-wastes in
cities like Hyderabad are set to increase due to high obsolescence
rates, lack of policy for disposal covering consumers, manufacturers and
other stakeholders. Presently, informal workers collect, dispose and
recycle major portion of e-waste, but the system has not been proven
effective as they are not properly trained to handle the material.

Attero
would, accordingly, set up collection centres in the city and employ
collectors who will secure obsolete material from users and give it to
it. The company will, in turn, process the material with its patented
technology. “The collection centres will start functioning probably by
next month-end,” Mr. Gupta said. Attero feels the tie-up with IFC will
ensure that its patented technology involving safe recycling of e-wastes
would get international acceptance .

Hyderabad has been included in the Clean E-India programme for responsible collection and recycling of e-waste.