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Cover Story
Addressing these challenges their state-of-the-art recycling Leading corporations in India
requires a concerted effort from facilities capable of extracting like Samsung has established
all stakeholders, including the precious metals from e-waste. numerous collection points
government, private sector, and Attero’s proprietary technology across the country, facilitating
the general public, to ensure enables them to recycle a wide the proper disposal and
environmentally sound and health- range of electronic products and recycling of electronic goods.
conscious disposal and recycling of recover valuable materials like Similarly, Dell has implemented
electronic waste. gold and copper. a global recycling program,
Startups like Bengaluru-based offering free recycling of
Innovative & Karo Sambhav, for example, its products and ensuring
Technological Solutions have developed an extensive environmentally responsible
e-waste management.
Public institutions like the e-waste collection and recycling Another case in point is
ecosystem that integrates
Council of Scientific and Industrial informal sector participants, Godrej, which has taken
Research (CSIR), the Central ensuring safe and efficient significant strides in e-waste
Institute of Plastics Engineering processing. Similarly, Eco management through its ‘Green
& Technology (CIPET), and the eMarket, an online platform, Think’ initiative. The Indian IT
National Metallurgical Laboratory provides a marketplace for giant Wipro, too, is known for
(NML) are developing advanced e-waste, connecting sellers with its e-waste management efforts.
methods for dismantling, authorised recyclers.
segregating, and processing
e-waste. Another innovation is the Consumer Awareness
The private sector companies use of blockchain technology & Participation
like Attero Recycling have made for e-waste management. This The increasing consumer
approach enhances transparency
significant strides in the field, with appetite for the latest electronic
and accountability in the
recycling process, tracing the devices, coupled with a lack
journey of electronic products of awareness about proper
from disposal to recycling. This disposal methods, significantly
digital ledger system, piloted by contributes to the e-waste
companies like Zolopik, ensures predicament. Often, electronic
data integrity and regulatory items are discarded with regular
compliance, paving the way for household waste or sold to
a more organised and reliable informal recyclers, bypassing
With only 5% of India’s e-waste management system. formal recycling channels.
e-waste being formally Government bodies,
recycled, the majority Corporate NGOs, and corporations are
ends up in informal Responsibility & increasingly engaging in
sectors, causing Industry’s Role awareness campaigns, educating
hazardous environmental the public about the importance
of e-waste recycling and the
and health impacts. The concept of Extended potential hazards of improper
The urgent need for Producer Responsibility (EPR) disposal.
has become central to India’s
sustainable e-waste approach to e-waste management. Corporations like Philips
management solutions is This shift places a significant and Sony have established
critical for the responsible part of the e-waste management take-back schemes, where
growth of India’s burden on manufacturers, consumers can return their
electronics industry compelling them to develop and old electronic products for
responsible disposal. Efforts are
implement take-back systems,
and the well-being of its recycling plans, and consumer also underway to make e-waste
population.” awareness programs. disposal more accessible for
DECEMBER 2023•Clean India Journal
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