What Is E-Waste
What Is E-Waste
E-Waste Hazards
Average PC of approx. 31.5 kg wt. contains:
7.24 kg - Plastics
1.98 kg - Lead
0.693g- -Mercury
0.4095g - Arsenic
2.961g - Cadmium
Two million Obsolete PCs w
1.98g - Chromium mean:
9.92g - Barium 14,427,000 kg
3,962,700 kg
4.94g - Beryllium
1,386 kg
819 kg
5,922 kg
3,969 kg
19,845 kg
9,891 kg
Existing Legislation
Trans boundary movement of E waste covered under the Basel convention.
India ratified the convention in 1992.
Waste listed in list A and list B which prohibits such movements.
Waste importers exploit such gaps as listed in the convention.
Allowed to import against a license.
Mobile phones; facts
Production today- 23 phones/sec
Sales 2003- 515 million
Sales 2004- 665 million
Sales 2005- 870 million
Subscribers-1.9 billion in 2005
Subscribers- 2.6 billion in 2009
Lifespan- 0.5- 1.5 (with 1st user)
(estimates from the Basel convention based study 2006)
Rethink
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
RETHINK
We know that most items we purchase will be thrown away eventually, so why not design
for the “end of life” of the product? Engineers and product designers need to address:
Packaging: materials comprise 65% of our waste.
Toxic substances: substitute with less toxic or benign materials (i.e. lead-
free solder) that can be harmlessly disposed of or recycled.
RECYCLE
This term is often misused, or used too broadly. Proper definition of recycling
is "the separation and collection of materials for processing and
manufacturing into new products, and use of these new products to complete
the cycle".
Should be the final step, after rethinking product design and reducing
waste production through wise purchasing and reuse.
We are “closing the cycle” when we purchase items made up recycled
material.
“Downcycling”occurs when the new product is of mixed materials and can
not be recycle again (i.e. carpeting and boards made of a mixture plastic
bottles and sawdust).
Manufacturing
Use during lifetime
Disposal and reallocation
Metal recovery
Semi-precious metal recovery
Stewardship pledge (Basel Action Network)