Research Journal Environmental and Earth Sciences 1(2): 111-115, 2009 ISSN: 2041-0492 M axwell Scientific Organization, 2009

9 Submitted Date: September 17, 2009 Accepted Date: October 08, 2009

Published Date: October 30, 2009

E-Waste Management: A Case Study of Bangalore, India

P.K. Jatindra and K. Sud hir Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Waknaghat, Solan (H P), 1732 15, In dia
Abstract: The management and recycling of E-waste was assessed in the city of Bangalore (India) based on rapid grow ing w aste stream, w aste va luable resources, hazardous substances and low recycling rate. F or this purpose, the personal computer was defined as the tracer and accordingly a model was designed. The model depicts the life cycle of tracer, from production to consumption-including reuse and refurbishment-to material recovery in the formal recycling industry. The process of data collection for the study involved field survey and analy sis of the available data. T he an alysis of data could highlight the strategy for the m anag eme nt of E-waste in the city. In this context, the study intends to reduce the environmental and health impacts from unscientific E-w aste management and for understanding o f E-w aste co llection, flow, rec ycling. All in all E -waste management in Bangalore has moved forward in many ways and can now serve as a model for other cities and state in the country. Key words: Upgrading and refurbishing, personal computer (PC), Hazardous substances, Precious metals and E-waste recycling. INTRODUCTION Consumer oriented grow th com bined with rapid product obsolescence and technological advances are new environmental challenge - the growing threat of Electronics W aste or E-waste that consists of obsolete electronic devices. E-waste is a complex mixture of Ag, AU, Pb an d Pt as precious metals; Cu, Al, Ni, Si, Zn and Fe as base metals; Hg, Be, Cd, Cr (VI), As, Sb and Bi as metals of concern due to their toxicity along w ith halogens and combu stible (plastics, flame retardants) many of which are toxic (Hagelken and Art, 2006). Ewaste has been a problem of great concern not only for the governm ent bu t also for the pub lic due to their hazardous material contents (Cui and Forssberg, 2003; Niu and Li, 2007). Currently, the main options for the treatment of electronic waste are involved in reuse, remanufacturing and recycling, as well as incineration and land filling . The hierarchy of treatment of E-waste encourages reuse of whole equipment first, remanufacturing and upgradation, then recovery of materials by recycling techniques, and as a last resort, dispo sal by incineration and land filling. However land filling of E-wastes can lead to the leaching of lead into the ground water. If the CRT is crushed and burned, it emits toxic fumes into the air (Ramachandra and Saira, 200 4). All electronic equipments contain printed circuit boards w hich are hazardous because of their content of lead (in solder), brominated flame retardants (typically 5-10% by w eight) and antimony oxide, which is also present as a flame retardant (typically 1-2% by w eight) (D evi et al., 2004). Recycling of electronic w aste takes care of bo th waste treatment and valuable material recovery and hence has both ecological and economic relevance. Precious metals recovered from E -waste hav e a w ide application in the manu facture of electronic appliances, serving as contact materials due to their chemical stability and their good conduction properties. On a broader scale, analyzing the environmental and societal impacts of E-waste reveals a mixture of benefits and costs (Alastair, 2004 ). Proponents of E-waste recycling claim that greater emp loym ent, new access to raw materials and electronics, and improved infrastructure will result due to E-waste recycling activity. This will further improve the regions progress towards prosperity. This study focuses to documen t existing sources of Ewaste stream s along the life cycle including product assembly, pre and post usag e, manageme nt and disposal and identify to improved prac tices based on E-w aste collection, flow and recycling system in Bangalore city of India. METHODS This study wa s c onducte d in the month of March, 2009 in the Banglore city of India. Apart from survey and data collection in the city, outer reaches of it like Banglore Rural District and Dob aspet Industrial area were also chosen for assessment of current practices followed in the E-waste management. Bangalore is the information technology hub of India hav ing more than 1700 IT

Corresponding Author: K. Sudhir, Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Jaypee University of Information Technology, Waknaghat, Solan (HP), 173215, India 111

Res. J. Environ. Earth Sci., 1(2): 111-115, 2009 companies generating 8,000 tonnes of E-waste annually. For this study the tracer item chosen was the personal computer (PC). A tracer item in this context stands for an electrical or electronic item which is surveyed along its whole life span, from the cradle to the grave. The definition of one tracer item PC represents all sorts of PCs. Reliable statistics of measurable recycling practices and the high dynamics in the information technology sector were reasons for the decision to use the PC as a tracer. The assessment strategy followed a certain order: Players and stakeh olders of the E -waste recycling stream were identified including consumers, traders, repair shops, dissemblers, scrap dealers and dismantlers. Qualitative research involved semi-structured in-depth interviews with the formal E-waste recyclers present in Bangalore: (a) Ash recyclers (b) E-Parisaraa. One-to-one interviews were cond ucted to gather inform ation w ith respe ct to following areas: C C C Detailed understand ing of each stage: Sourcing, Log istics, Processin g of E-waste Current handling capacities Status of technology being used currently and challenges faced RESULTS A field study and personal intera ction w ith mem bers from formal recyclers produced a model. The survey results are presented first, followed by the model calculations and material flow analysis. Field Survey and Material Flow Analysis: Ban galore is generating around 12,000 tons of E-waste (from computers and p eriphe rals) per year. T his estim ate is based on information received from recyclers in Bangalore and fro m the fact that 30% of all equ ipment in IT industry beca me ob solete every year and end up as Ewaste. Representatives from two governments authorized recyclers Ash recyclers and E-Parisaraa have conducted surveys in the field of WEEE recycling, and the authors participated in this discourse. The resulting model (Fig. 1, 2) shows a chain of process through which the tracer item PC was follow ed. The system is divided into two sections: pre- and post-recycling processes. Five percent of the items produced are rejected and go directly into the Recycling process. The field assessment of this study revealed the existence of a vital refurbishing and upgrading industry, dealing exclusively with used personal computers. The numbers of flow from the Repair to Traders processes include the upgrading of PCs with faster processors, increase in ha rd disc mem ory or other replacement of whole components. The reuse of com ponents (flow from Reuse to Traders) depicts the recyc ling of components- such as IC processing chips, mem ory cards, capacitors or other individual components112

Fig 1: Material flow of the pre-recycling processes of the tracer item personal computer within the system border Bangalore. which enter the market by being sold after having their functionality checked. Fig. 1 shows the material flow of the pre-recycling processes whereas Fig. 2 shows the post-recycling processes. The process Recycling links the two section s of the system and at the same time symbolizes a point of no return. After entering the Recycling proce ss, no items, comp onents or m aterials even return directly to the pre-recycling processe s. The post recycling process adopted is simple and having minimum landfill options without incineration. In general, mechanical and recov ery op erations are being carried out. Mechanical operations include: manual dismantling, segregation, pulverizing and density separation in an ecofriendly mann er, while recov ery operations are carried ou t separa tely for metals, glass, and plastics. E-w aste Managem ent at Organizational Le vel: Bharat Electronics Ltd., (BEL) set-up to meet the specialized electronic needs of the Indian defense services, has been the first public sector company to initiate E-waste man agem ent. The public sector companies have recently initiated a prog ramm e to manag e E-w aste. E-waste is segregated into four categories namelyC C C C Compu ter and Compu ter peripherals PCBs (printed circuit boards) and com ponents Electrical wires/cables, cut wires All oth er electronic equipm ents

electronic

The segregated waste is recycled at authorized Ewaste recycling facilities in Bangalore. As per government regulations, tenders are called for the sale of this E-waste. Earlier all authorized scrap d ealers were invited to take part in the tender. In the present situation the tender is restricted to only autho rized E -waste

Res. J. Environ. Earth Sci., 1(2): 111-115, 2009

Fig 2: Post recycling processes for the tracer item personal computer recyclers. In addition to the public sector, large private companies including the multinationals used the auctions to dispose their E-waste. At the same time, there are large public sector organizations that are engaged in the manu facture of various electronic components and telecomm unica tion equipm ent. Role and status of stakeholders invo lvement: Bangalore has emerged as a key city, which has identified the different stake holde rs and is mak ing de man ds to ensure that attention is given to E-waste and its proper management and d isposal. Currently three main stakeholde rs have been iden tified. Name ly C The Government- agencies associated with E-w aste that include Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSP CB ), Bruhat B engaluru M ahan agar P allike (BBMP), Department of Information Technology, Government of Karnataka The Ge nerators (mainly producers and consumers) The Recy clers (Both formal and informal recyclers) the depa rtmen t made it clear that the hazardo us w aste rules are currently sufficient to address the safe disposal and recycling of E-w aste. The ind ustries are bou nd to dispose of the E-waste to a proper recycler wh o is authorized by the KSPCB or to find a pro per land fill. None of the leg islations objects to sale o f E-w aste to authorized bodies but selling to scrap dealers that do not have an authorization from the KSPCB is against the law. Bangalore has three authorized E-waste recy cling units. A tracking system is also on place whereby waste disposed through the authorized vendors is documented under the hazardous waste rules. KSPCB has also made it mand atory for all new establishments seeking Consent for Establishment (CFE) to comply w ith E-waste regulations. All large companies in Bang alore are now well aw are about the regulations regard ing safe disposal of E-waste. Similar initiatives are requ ired pro mptly from other pollution control board agencies of different states. Genera tors: The co rporate sector and government institutions contribute largely to E-wa ste in the form of IT equipment. In add ition educational institutions and households are also significant contributors. Within the corporate sector the hardware companies been looked at with special interest since they are required to take responsibility for the generation of E-waste.

C C

Government agencies: The Karnataka State pollution Control Board (KSP CB) has the responsibility for enforcement of the rules and legislation. Discussions with

113

Res. J. Environ. Earth Sci., 1(2): 111-115, 2009 E-w aste is also generated from the small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) that manufacture compone nts. These SMEs also act as suppliers to the large multinationals. In Karnataka there are 2,000 SMEs engaged in various different manufacturing activities including manufacture of components for the electrical and electronics ind ustry. It is also noted that S M Es generate E-waste not just from man ufacturing but also contribute through extensive use of electronic equipm ent. If the serv ice sec tor is included then the potential for generation of E-waste is huge. Most large IT companies in Ban galore have introdu ced w ell-defined E-waste management systems including identification, segregation and safe disposal of E-waste. Recyclers: There are tw o type s of recyclers in Bang alore that play important role for managing the E-waste; (a) formal recyclers, (b) informal recyclers. Out of the two, the formal recyclers handle maximum E-waste recycling. E-Parisaraa, Ash recyclers are the two major formal recyclers and m any big names as their custom ers. Th is included HP, IBM , GE, Intel, Motorola, ABB, Philips, Sony etc. Informal recyclers possess remarkable skills, which include the ability to recognize different types of raw materials. They are also meticulous in their recovery of this material from even small components. But the informal units usually operate witho ut a licen se in residential areas and pose a threat to the surrounding environment and com munities. The informal recyclers should have training cum awareness prog ramm e on safe E-w aste recycling procedures in the existing government recognized E-waste recycling units. Material Recovery from E-waste: As an example of the case study from our field data, Fig. 3 shows the material recovery from one ton E-waste conducted at E-Parisaraa, Bangalore. Fig. 3 shows the typical com puter w aste composition per one ton. Glass is 20% by weight; plastics are 23% by weight followed by metals 57% . Metals are recovered from printed circuit boards, cables, non-ferrous metals and ferrous metals. Out of one ton computer waste, 99% is used for recovery of precious metals and another 1% for safe land filling. There is no statistical data for recovery of metals by informal recyclers. Status of Technology, Challenges and Innovative Options: It was found that current recycling operations of these comp anies are limited only to pre-processing of Ewaste material. The processes used are a combination of manual and mechanical processes, in which manual processes forms a large part. It was also noticed that formal recyclers have a permission to establish a recycling plant and consent to export metals to approved smelters globally. The companies use thermal shock techniques for separation process followed by feeding the E-w aste into 114

Fig 3: Computer composition based on the research on material recovery from E-waste conducted at EParisaraa company, Banglore the shredders signaling the start of mechanical stage. The shredder materials, laden with precious m etals, are then sent to smelting refineries for extraction of these metals. The only technology being used for E-w aste rec ycling in Bangalore is the shredding/pulverizing technology followed by py rometallurgical and hydrometallurgical process. There is a need to develop a cost effective technology for extraction of precious metals and for disposal of hazard ous m etals. In the last decade, attentions have been removed from pyrometallurgical process to hydrometallurgical process for recovery of metals from electronic waste. Hydrometallurgical processing techniques include cyanide leaching, halide leaching, thiourea leaching, and thiosulfate leaching of precious m etals. This process also faces environmental issues and less efficiency in recycling of precious metals. DISCUSSION Reuse of end-of- life (EOL) electronic equipment has first priority on the management of electronic waste since the usable lifespan of equipment is extended in a second ary market, resulting in reduction of the volume of treated waste stream . Recycling of electronic w aste is another important subject not only from the point of w aste treatment but also from the recovery of valuable metals. The value distribution for personal computer shows that, the precious metal make up more than 70% of the value. This indicates that the major economic driver for recyc ling of electronic waste is from the recovery of precio us metals and their industrial applica tion. CONCLUSION From the result it was found that, the refurbishing and upgrading of personal compu ters and monitors constitute

Res. J. Environ. Earth Sci., 1(2): 111-115, 2009 one of the key drivers of the pre-recycling processes. However the material flow is only based on the market values of the upgraded or refurbished items. This scheme comprises one o f the most effective mechanisms to: (i) create additional value and (ii) to prevent an accelerated flow rate through the whole system. The incentive is the increasing need for low cost personal computers among the ever-increasing group in the Indian population that uses computers. The market demand creates jobs and business in a second hand industry and at the same time decrease the overwhelming load of E-waste. Traditional technology, pyrometallurgy has been used for recovery of precious metals from waste electronic equipment. However, it has encountered some challenges from environmental considerations. Consequently, stateof-the-art smelters are highly depended on investmen ts. In the last decade, attentions have been focused to hydrometallurgical process for recovery of metals from Ewaste. This process also faces environmental issues and less efficiency in detoxifying effluents. All in all E-w aste management in Bangalore has moved forward in many ways and can now serve as a model for other cities and state in the country. However, still there is lacuna in advance technology for recovery of precious metals. AKNOWLEDGEMENT The autho rs thank to MoEF (M inistry of Environment and Forest) of India, for funding the project on impact assessment and bioleaching of E-waste. REFERENCES Alastair, I., 2004 . Mapping en vironmen tal justice in technology flows: computer waste impacts in Asia, Massac huse tts Institute of Technology. Glob. Environ. Pol., 4(4): 76-107. Cui, J. and E. Forssberg, 200 3. Mechanical recycling of waste electric and electronic equipment: a review. J. Hazard. Mater., 99(3): 243-263. Devi, B.S., S.V. Shobha and R.K. Kambla, 2004. EW aste: The hidden harm of technological revolution. J. IAEM., 31: 196-205. Hagelken, C. and S. Art, 2006. Recycling of e-scrap in a global environment-chances and challenges: Um icore precious metals refining. Indo-European Training W orksh op. B angalore and N ew Dehli. Niu, X. an d Y. Li, 200 7. Treatment of waste printed wire boards in electronic waste for safe disposal. J. Hazard. Mater., 145(3): 410-416. Ramachandra, T.V. and V.K. Saira, 2004. Environmentally sound options for waste management. Environ. J. Hum. Settl., pp: 3-11.

115