Growing volume of e-waste poses a great threat to the environment and economy of a country. If the e-waste generation is not handled properly, then the world would generate 120 million metric tonnes of e-waste by 2050.
The Top E-Waste Generating Countries:
China, US, Japan, Germany, and India are the top E-waste generating Countries. According to the report, the global countries produce nearly 50 million tonnes of e-waste annually. Out of these only a few products that contain the usable part are only recycled. The total worth of e-waste that is thrown every year is nearly $ 62.5 million.
Why the e-waste generation increases?
As the consumer increases the use of electronic products, the uncontrollable demand for innovative electronic products generates a huge amount of e-waste. The e-waste that is generated from the Telecom equipment sector is nearly 1.85 million metric tonnes per year. Also, more than 1 billion mobile phones end up as e-waste annually. And a huge amount of e-waste is illegally exported to poorer countries for free.
Effects of Dumping E-waste into Landfills:
E-wastes are non-degradable substances that consist of toxic material like lead, cadmium, and mercury. The improper recycling of e-waste products leads to the emission of toxic materials into the environment. This causes a huge hazard to the life of humans.
The Reason behind Improper Recycling:
As the e-waste is controlled by the unorganized sector, only 20% of the global e-waste is reprocessed and the remaining 80% is dumped into the landfill. If the e-wastes are not taken to process in the right way, it will end up as waste and will create a hazard to the environment and human life.
E-waste Generation in India:
Nearly 2 million tonnes of e-waste is generated in India and it is also importing e-waste from other countries like Australia. Maharashtra contributes about 19.8% of e-waste in the country. More than 95% of e-waste in India is processed by untrained workers that lead to improper management of e-waste.
Formation of PACE:
United Nations, World Economic Forum and World Business Council for Sustainable Development jointly formed Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE) at Davos. PACE reported that E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world. And also added that this increase in e-waste generation will make a huge impact on the lives of many people.
Plan Of PACE:
PACE has planned to make a partnership between the corporations and governments to reduce the hazards caused due to e-waste. Even if countries are targeting to recycle 80% of e-waste only 30 to 40 percent of the waste is getting recycled and the remaining are dumped in the landfill. PACE has now planned to find for a good system to encourage recycling so that the e-waste generated will be properly recycled.
E-waste Management:
Implementation of better e-waste management strategies and encouragement of recycling can help to overcome this crisis. Also, the generation of e-waste can be reduced by developing more sustainable industries. The proper management of e-waste can avoid the dumping of harm-causing materials into the landfill. This will gradually reduce the impact of e-waste on human life and the environment.
About Anandhi Anthiran
Hi, I’m Anandhi Anthiran born at Kanyakumari, India. We are five members in our family. I have two
younger sisters. About my schooling, I took my elementary education at Chennai. When I was 10 years
old, our family got permanently shifted to Kanyakumari as it is our native land. Kanyakumari, the .... more info