Context
International E-Waste Day has been observed on October 14 every year since 2018.
Current status of e-waste globally
- According to the UN, in 2021 each person on the planet will produce on average 7.6 kg of e-waste, meaning that a massive 57.4 million tonnes will be generated worldwide.
- Only 17.4 percent of this electronic waste containing a mixture of harmful substances and precious materials will be recorded as being properly collected, treated and recycled.
- This year’s WEEE (waste electronic and electrical equipment) will total about 57.4 million tonnes (MT), which will be greater than the weight of the Great Wall of China, Earth’s heaviest artificial object.
Key-highlights of the Day
- This year’s International E-Waste Day will focus on the crucial part each of us has in making circularity a reality for e-products.
- This International E-Waste Day gives used electronic devices for recycling, urges non-profit.
Why is recycling important?
- According to WEEE Forum, recycling enables the recovery of “a king’s fortune invaluable materials and reduce the need for new resources”
- The Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive aims to minimise the impact of such equipment on the environment during the products' life span, and when it becomes waste.
- The WEEE Directive sets criteria for the collection, treatment, recycling and recovery of waste electrical and electronic equipment.
- The Brussels-based non-profit gave some shocking statistics about the rising tide of e-waste.
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E-Waste
- E-Waste is short for Electronic-Waste and the term is used to describe old, end-of-life or discarded electronic appliances.
- It includes their components, consumables, parts and spares.
- It is categorised into 21 types under two broad categories:
- Information technology and communication equipment.
- Consumer electrical and electronics.
- Laws to manage e-waste have been in place in India since 2011, mandating that only authorised dismantlers and recyclers collect e-waste.
- E-waste (Management) Rules, 2016 was enacted in 2017.
- India’s first e-waste clinic for segregating, processing and disposal of waste from household and commercial units has been set up in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
