HYDERABAD: Smartphone’s in, ordinary phone’s out. Laptops are in, desktops are out. LED is in, LCD is out and 3D outdates both. Every tech savvy consumer is eager to lay hands on the latest gadgets these days.In most cases, perfectly functioning ones are discarded during these typical “upgrades.” What happens to the discarded ones? Not all discarded gadgets are recycled and many are not recycled properly.Result: the gadgets we discard are out of our sight but the improper processing of their spare parts pollutes the environment.Hyderabad generates 3,800 metric tonnes (MT) of e-waste annually which includes mobile phones, printers, computers and television sets, according to the Inventory of e-waste in Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam - 2011, a study conducted by the Environment Protection Training and Research Institute (EPTRI).The amount of e-waste generated was 3,263 MT in 2009.While Andhra Pradesh stands third in electronic waste generation next to Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad stands fifth among Indian cities in the amount of e-waste generated, according to a 2009 report given out by EPTRI.When we throw away old gadgets, we are dumping iron, steel, copper, aluminium, glass, plastic, rubber and wood among other materials used in the gadgets.Many of these are processed by unorganised sector units in an attempt to sell them and make a quick buck.“Improper processing of these elements is hazardous,” explains Razia Sultana, a scientist who coordinated the EPTRI 2009 report on e-waste.Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) used in condensors and transformers cause cancer, affect immune, endocrine and reproductive systems.Chloro Fluoro Carbons (CFC) found in cooling units cause toxic emissions when they are combusted.Arsenic found in small quantities in the form of Gallium Arsendie in Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are poisonous and harmful to health.Lead, which is found in batteries and printed wiring boards, causes damage to nervous and circulatory systems and also causes learning disabilities in children.These are but a few examples.S John Robert, CEO of Earth Sense, a company dedicated to e-waste management in the country, says printed circuit boards contain precious metals such as gold and silver.Small sector units wash this in acid to recover the metals.They later dump the harmful acidic waste in nearby nalas.Earth Sense goes to companies and houses in person to buy e-waste from them.There are only two authorised private players in ewaste management in the city.One is the Ramky group and the other is Earth Sense.Government officials and activists stress the need for more companies with such initiatives who can recycle waste properly.Anil Dayakar, environmental activist and founder of Gamana NGO, feels that we still need to go a long way in managing e-waste.“We haven’t been able to manage the normal solid waste in an efficient manner, forget ewaste,” comments Dayakar who opines that it is important at this juncture to separate e-waste from the normal dry and wet waste, in order to effectively manage the dump.“There has to be definitely more awareness about the impacts of randomly dumping old gadgets, the activist adds.Very soon, stringent rules will be in place to manage the huge amount of electronic waste.The e-waste management rules expected to be effective from May, 2012 will help improve the scenario, hopes Bhaskar Rao, senior environmental engineer, incharge of hazardous waste management, AP Pollution Control Board.At present, not all producers take back old products.In Hyderabad, PCH is one electronic store which does have the facility of taking old gadgets back.“Most of this happens when we advertise an exchange offer.Otherwise, we hardly receive any gadgets for recycling,” said one of the staff members at the electronic store.Rao is positive about the benefits of the rules to be in place.The rules make it mandatory for every producer to have takeback services in place so that customers can give their used or old gadgets back to the company instead of throwing them away.It also makes it mandatory for the companies to deliver the junk to a recycle plant. This will ensure that all old gadgets go to the authorised recycling plant. Unauthorised recycling will automatically come down, says the official.Before the rules come into place, the government has the challenge of creating awareness among IT industries who form the major chunk of users for electronic gadgets.The APPCB has already conducted many awareness workshops by going to every big player in the industry. More such workshops are in the offing to keep all stakeholders informed about the scenario, says Bhaskar.
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