An Alarming Environmental Concern! Electronic Waste Processing Up By 4 Times, Yet 90% Remains Unprocessed

India processed more than 3.4 lakh tonnes of electronic waste in 2020-2021 compared to 69,414 tonnes in 2017-18. The country has increased the collection and processing of e-waste by four times in four years. However, only 11 per cent of the waste is being recycled in the country.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data reveals that the generation of e-waste has been increasing over the past few years. 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.

468 Authorized Recyclers

The CPCB has more than 468 authorized recyclers in 22 states and 2,808 collection points. The total capacity of 468 recyclers is more than 13 lakh tonnes, which is insufficient for the amount of waste generated in the country. India generated over 7 lakh tonnes of e-waste in 2017-18, which increased to 10 lakh tonnes by the end of 2020.

BK Soni, the CMD of Eco-Recycling, said, "The concern should be the pollution, not the quantity of waste generated because the moment our e-waste is higher, our economy gets better. The things to address are how you address the concern of unscientific processing and why processing is happening in a polluting manner. Why is so much of it not getting processed?" The Times of India quoted.

Gujarat Topped In E-Waste Processing

Gujarat processed most of the electronic waste, followed by Karnataka. Uttarakhand, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu occupy the third, fourth, and fifth spots. According to Global E-waste Monitor- 2020 report, 53.6 million Metric Tonnes (Mt) is produced annually globally, which accounts for 7.3 kg per capita. Moreover, by 2030, the global e-waste market is expected to reach 74.7 mt, and the per capita waste is likely to increase to 9 kg.

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