7. E-waste: Definition
Are those electronic equipments/ products that
connect with power plug, batteries which have
become obsolete due to :
- advancement in technology
- changes in fashion, style and status
- nearing the end of their useful life
8. Classification: types of e-waste
Mobile Phones Washing Machine
Computers Cartridges
Servers Military electronic
Telecom Mother board
TV Alarm
Calculators Sirens
Audio Automobile Catalytic
Scanners Converter
Printers Sensor
Air Conditioner CD
Microwave Security Device
9. Quick Facts
1200 tons of scrap / yr , Only 11% of e-waste
get recycled
India's hospitals to see patients with 10 times
the expected level of lead in their blood
In India, a water sample revealed levels of lead
190 times as high as the drinking water
standard set by the World Health
Organization.
10. Old computers and, mobiles are being dumped in
Asia where they are releasing toxic materials into the
environment.
A pile of 500 computers contains 717kg of lead,
1.36kg of cadmium, 863 grams of chromium and 287
grams of mercury – all poisonous metals.
CRT tubes contain avg of 4 pounds of lead
Thousands of children throughout the India are
attending schools that were built on or near toxic
waste sites, with increased risk of developing asthma,
cancer, learning disorders and other diseases linked to
environmental pollutants.
12. Present Scenario
Every house having electronic equipments
Business necessity
More than 40-50 million tons e-waste worldwide / year
Asia-estimate of 12 million tons/ year
50-80% e-waste collected in US and other developed countries
exported to third world countries
E-waste is still the fastest growing municipal waste
13. 2005- 2.6 m tons in India of which 12.6% recycled
Growth – 30% / yr
20 to 24 million computers and televisions are added
to storage each year
400 m units to be scrapped by end of decade
8% of municipal waste in EU and 2-5% in US
1-20 kg per person/p.a and growing at 3 times faster
than the municipal waste.
14. These are 500 times more poisonous gases than pollution from other means
16. 20 million electronic household appliances
including TV, washing machines, PCs etc) and
70 million cell phones reach end-of-life every
year
About 70% of the heavy metals (mercury and
cadmium) and 40% lead, in landfills in India
come from e-waste
22% of the yearly world consumption of
mercury is used in electronics manufacture
17. Informal recyclers – more in number
More of acid content flow into the land contaminating the soil
and land value.
About 70 percent, of heavy metals in India landfills comes from
E-Waste.
One of the most threatening substances is lead, of which only 5
percent is recycled in India.
315 million computers became obsolete in US by 2004
315 million X 4 = 1.2 billion pounds of lead
18. 312,000 pounds of lead from more than 500 million stockpiled
mobile phones in the India
China and India - 178 million & 80 million new computers,
out of the global total of an estimated 716 million new
computer users by 2010.
B/n 2000 - 2004,
i) The number of fixed line telephones in
India doubled.
ii) Mobile phones - use rose from 35,000 to 9.2 million,
an increase by a factor of about 260.
iii) Internet - users rose from 107,000 to 1.8 million.
19. Mobile phones
World’s 80% population live in areas of cell phone
reception
Over one billion cell phones sold worldwide in 2006
Discarded mobiles by Americans – 150 million
phones i.e., 40000 phones / day
150 million phones consume energy that would
power 250000 homes / yr.
Produce 258 million kgs of carbon.
2 % recycled
21. Indians upgrade or exchange their cell phones
every 18 months, meaning there are
approximately 16 million unused mobile
phones stashed away at home or in the office
Average working life of a mobile phone is 7
years but worldwide the average consumer
changes their mobile every 11 months
Indians purchased 40 million mobile phones in
past 5 years including 9.28 million in 2007
22. Over one billion mobile phone handsets were
currently in use around the world till 2006
In 2006, it was estimated that each year 130
million mobile phones in the US and 105
million mobile phones in Europe will be
thrown away
700 million obsolete phones discarded in 2005
contained an estimated 560,000 kg of lead in
the form of solder
24. Scenario
Batteries have toxic constituents such as cadmium and
brominated flame-retardants and are replaced at least once
before retiring the phones.
Indian mobile phone users are expected to rise to over 120
million by 2008, making telecom sector one of the most
lucrative markets.
In the United States alone, experts estimate that 130 million
cell phones will be discarded by the year 2005, resulting in
65,000 tonnes of cell phone waste -- most probably headed
towards Indian shores to be dumped here.
26. The Indian picture
India, one of the fastest growing mobile
telephone markets in the world
Boasted over 14.17 million mobile phone
subscribers in May 2003
About 102.8 per cent more than the previous
year.
27. Mobile phone users are expected to rise to
over 120 million by 2008
The advent of ‘use and throw’ , ‘low value-
low life’ CHINA MOBILES has caused
havoc in e-waste.
29. Others India
i) 5-6 retired instruments in i) Indians will not junk
every office cabinet. their mobiles, but pass
ii) United States alone, them on to a new low-
experts estimate that 130 end user who will, in
million cell phones will be turn, junk them in the
discarded by the year 2005, flea market from where
resulting in 65,000 tons of the instruments make
cell phone waste their way to the
Kabadiwallas.
30. Mobile batteries
Mobile phone BATTERIES are also a threat.
They wear out faster than the phone, giving
cellular telephone companies more business
opportunities!
A typical NiMH battery has a life of 350 to
400 charging cycles, however short or long the
recharging time.
31. Future
UN : By 2008 the number of cell phone users around the world is
projected to reach some 2 billion
India - the number of cell phone subscribers increased from
340,000 in 1985 to 180 million in 2004.
Worldwide, cell phone sales have increased from slightly more
than 100 million units per year in 1997 to an estimated 779
million units per year in 2005.
Cell phone sales are projected to exceed 1 billion units per year
in 2009, with an estimated 2.6 billion cell phones in use by the
end of that year
34. Sales Growth
PC sales -1.4 million in 1999-00 to 5.4 million
units in 2006-07 and expected 14% in 2008
laptop sales - 44,000 units in 2001-02 to
850,000 units in 2006-07, with the last year
growth of 97%
35. The market for consumer durables is also
exhibiting highly accelerated growth rate of
approximately 10-15% over last two years
Telephone industry - witnessed a phenomenal
growth in the recent past and the sector today
has 75 million cell phone users, which is likely
to grow to 200 million by the year 2007
36. Reasons for growth
Globalization
high obsolescence rate
Inability of technology to support up-gradation
Less costly components used in the electronic
equipments
Low cost of products
Purchasing power increase
37. Why exported to India ???
Cheap labour
US - $ 30/ computer
India - $ 2/ computer
Saving - $ 28/ computer
Weak environmental laws
Excess dumping of CRT tubes due to the ramp walk
of flat screen monitors
Driven by the potential for corporate profits
38. E waste: Main sources
Government
Public 70%
Private (Industrial)
discards
Illegal imports
e-waste generated in 2007
Government-126%
Households - 15%
39. Indian Scenario
Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad-largest contributors
Informal recylers (cheap labour)
Technology rudimentary
7 million ppl in Bangalore – direct contributors of e-
waste
Dioxins in the recyling place
Lead to cancer
330000 tonnes generated in 2007
19000 processed
45. Hazardous process
Incineration - process of destroying waste through
burning. Because of the variety of substances
found in e-waste, incineration is associated with a
major risk of generating and dispersing
contaminants and toxic substances. The gases
released during the burning and the residue ash is
often toxic and this happens as there is no prior
treatment nor sophisticated flue gas purification.
Studies have shown that copper, which is present
in printed circuit boards and cables, acts a
catalyst for dioxin formation when flame-
retardants are incinerated. These brominated
flame retardants when exposed to low
temperature (600-800°C) can lead to the
generation of extremely toxic polybrominated
dioxins (PBDDs) and furans (PBDFs). PVC,
which can be found in e-waste in significant
amounts, is highly corrosive when burnt and also
induces the formation of dioxins.
Incineration also leads to the loss valuable of
trace elements which could have been recovered
had they been sorted and processed separately.
46. Open air burning
- open fires burn at relatively
low temperatures, release
more pollutants.
- Chronic exposure to open
fire emissions may lead to
diseases such as emphysema
and cancer.
47. - Inhalation of open fire emissions can trigger asthma attacks, respiratory
infections, and cause other problems such as coughing, wheezing, chest
pain, and eye irritation.
- example : burning PVC releases hydrogen chloride, which on inhalation
mixes with water in the lungs to form hydrochloric acid.
- This can lead to corrosion of the lung tissues, and several respiratory
complications.
- Often open fires burn with a lack of oxygen, forming carbon monoxide,
which poisons the blood when inhaled.
- The residual particulate matter in the form of ash is prone to fly around in
the vicinity and can also be dangerous when inhaled.
53. Health impact
Reproduction : damage to both male and female reproductive systems,
including interfering with development of the testes; reduction in semen
production and quality; abnormal morphology of sperm; low egg
hatchability; and reduced fertility rates.
DNA : damage in lymphocytes, fetal and developmental toxicity; growth
retardation; abnormal brain development, which can result in intellectual
impairment; and possible long-term impacts on memory, learning and
behaviour.
Nervous System: damage to the central nervous system (CNS) and blood
system, including CNS depression and neurotoxicity; immune system
suppression, including inhibition of a key blood cell enzyme.
54. Organs : damage to the brain, including swelling; liver, including liver
necrosis; kidney, including renal toxicity; thyroid; pancreas; lymph nodes;
spleen; and bone, including bone toxicity.
Skin : contact dermatitis; skin lesions; carcinogenic, including tumour
promotion and lung cancer; anaemia; CBD (a currently-incurable,
debilitating disease that can sometimes be fatal); and mortality.
Hormonal System : disruption to endocrine systems including the
oestrogen, androgen, thyroid hormone, retinoid and corticosteroid systems;
inhibition of human androgen hormone reception; and ability to mimic
natural oestrogen hormones, leading to altered sexual development in some
organisms.
Other: hypertension (high blood pressure); cardiovascular and heart
disease; respiratory tract irritation, including irritation of the nose, mouth
and eyes.
61. Effect of the trade
330000 tons generated in 2007, of which
150000 tons in India
Jun 05, 2008- half ton e-waste generated in
Mumbai
Sep 24, 2007- 10000 tonnes in delhi, with
25000 workers including children
Indian hospitals are treating patients who have
10 times the normal level of lead in their blood
62. Microsoft's new operating system launched in
January -- Windows Vista -- will make many
older machines obsolete and create a "tsunami
of e-waste" exported to developing nations,
according to Jim Puckett, coordinator for the
Basel Action Network.
64. Future !!!
India emerging as a graveyard for the world’s e-waste
More amount of money to be spent on medical bills if
proper attention and care not given importance
Less availability of space as playgrounds for children
and the presence of more number of dumping
grounds
65. Recommendations
Promote recycling units to ease process and to
encourage generators to have proper e-waste
disposal
Impart training to generators on e-waste
handling
Awareness program on recycling
66.
67.
68.
69. Fix duties and responsibilities to recyclers
Tax incentives for scrap dealers
Reward and reprimand schemes for
performance and non-compliance of e-waste
management
To make recycling business viable one
70. Government should encroach legal import of e-waste
Should subsidize recyling and disposal industry
Incentive schemes for garbage collectors, general
public
Disposal fee from manufacturers and consumers
