Electronic WasteA challenge to our development

Presented By: -1478 Chintu Gautam1479 Simran Girdhar1480 Shreya Sharma1481 Ayushi Chaudhary1482 Savita Mavi1483 Ankit Vats1485 Shruti Tiwari1486 Jyoti Rathore1490 Sakshi Gupta

Contents

• What is e-waste?

• Types of e-waste

• Toxic contents of e-waste

• Harmful effects of e-waste

• What happens to e-waste?

• Methods of disposing e-waste

• Measures taken by various organizations to handle e-waste

• E-waste in India

• Conclusion

E-wasteElectronic waste or e-waste is the rapidly expanding volume of obsolete computers, printers, fax machines, TVs, and other electronic devices finding its way into the waste stream of countries in the world.

What is E-waste?

"Electronic waste" may be defined as all secondary computers, entertainment device electronics, mobile phones, and other items such as television sets and refrigerators, whether sold, donated, or discarded by their original owners. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) includes discarded CRT monitors in its category of "hazardous household waste“, but considers CRTs set aside for testing to be commodities if they are not discarded, speculatively accumulated, or left unprotected from weather and other damage.

Types of e-waste

Types of e-waste

Criterion 1 - (Based Upon Electrical Articles)

• Computers, televisions, cell phones etc.

Criterion 2 - (Based on their reasons of being a waste)

• Newer techs, not functioning machines etc.

Criterion 1 - (Based Upon Electrical Articles)

Cell phones, computers, televisions etc.

Criterion 2 - (Based on their reasons of being a waste)

• Type 1 - Those electrical articles which are working but are turned into a waste because of the fact that newer technologies have invaded the market and more and more people find themselves inclined to these newer technologies and because of their affinity to this newer technologies they discard their existing articles.

• Type 2 - E wastes that are actually wastes. By this we mean those articles that do not posses any function anymore that is the true wastes. The total amount of e waste should be equivalent to the waste generated under type 2 but the growing concern is because of the type 1 wastes which are growing in volume.

• Type 3 - Often it’s seen that not a whole electrical article is a waste but a still a certain part of it is not functioning for ex. In a television just the cathode rays are not working but the remaining parts are working. But many people chose the other way and replace the whole article. So the whole article becomes a waste and is discarded.

How Much E-waste Is There?• E-waste is a recent phenomenon

• 20-50 million metric tons of e-waste are disposed every year.

• 60-65 million PCs become obsolete every year in the US

• Environment Protection Agency estimate – 1.9 million tons of e-waste land filled in 2000 (EXCLUDING electric appliances)

• 3-5% of material in landfills

• Growing 3 times the rate of other waste

• 315-600 million computers/TVs waiting in “e-waste purgatory”

Toxic contents of

e-waste

Toxic contents of e-waste

• Due to the pervading reach of information technology in trade and commerce,

computer waste is the most significant of all e-waste, along with televisions and

cellular phones

• E-waste contains both valuable as well as harmful components

– Valuable components include precious metals such as gold, silver, copper, palladium, etc.

– Harmful substances include lead, mercury, cadmium, etc.

• Some of the key toxic elements contained within components of a computer include:

Components of a computer Key Toxic Constituents

Printed Circuit Boards Lead and cadmium

Cathode ray Tubes(CRTs) Lead oxide and cadmium

Switches and Flat-screen Monitors Mercury

Computer Batteries Cadmium

Capacitors and Transformers Poly Chlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

Printed Circuit Boards, Plastic Casing Cable Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs)

Computer Batteries Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC)

Toxic Elements Inside a Computer

Toxic contents of e-waste

Harmful effects

of e-waste

Harmful effects of e-wasteToxin Effects on Humans

Mercury Impairment of neurological development in fetus and

small children; tremors, emotional changes,

insomnia, headache, kidney effects respiratory

failures, death

Lead Damage to brain and nervous system, slow growth in

children, hearing problems, behavioral changes,

physical disorders

EFFECTS OF E-WASTE TOXINS

Toxin Effects on Humans

Chromium Asthmatic bronchitis, skin irritation, ulceration,

respiratory irritation, perforated

eardrums, kidney damage, pulmonary congestion

and oedema, epigastric pain, erosion and

discolouration of the teeth

Brominate

d Flames

Retardant

s

May increase cancer risk to digestive and lymph

systems, endocrine disorder

EFFECTS OF E-WASTE TOXINSEffects on soil:

• Toxic leachates: Hg, Cd, Pb, P

• Uncontrolled fire risk →toxic fumes

• Biologically non-degradable: Cd, HG, BFR

There are also hazardous effects on livestock, ecology, etc.

What happens to

e-waste?

What Happens to E-waste?

End Markets for EOL TVs & CRTs

EPA Report – April 2007

For the Year 2005:

> Resale in U.S. 5%

> Glass to Glass Recycling in U.S. 2%

> Glass to Lead Smelting in U.S. 6%

> Glass to Glass Abroad 14%

> Exported for “Reuse” 61%

So Why Ship E-waste to China???

• Extremely Low Labor Costs

• No Worker-Safety Standards

• No Environmental Regulations

• Get the Good Stuff – Dump the Bad Stuff

Risks in dumping the e-wasteWhat’s the Problem with E-waste? -

Theft of Sensitive Information2003 MIT Student Study:

– 158 used hard drives

– 129 still worked

– 69 had recoverable files

– 49 contained credit card, medical records & personal correspondence

– 1 contained ATM transaction info.

• One of the top areas for dumping e-waste is Africa

• The number one area of the world for identity theft is

• AFRICA!

Methods of disposing e-waste

Methods of disposing e-waste• Current Disposal Methods

– Incineration: This is a controlled way of disposing off the e-waste and it involves combustion of electronic waste at high temperature in specially designed incinerators. This e-waste disposal method is quite advantageous as the waste volume is reduced extremely much and the energy obtained is also utilized separately. However, it is also not free from disadvantages with the emission of the harmful gases mercury and cadmium in the environment.

– Acid Baths: Acid bath involves soaking of the electronic circuits in the powerful sulphuric, hydrochloric or nitric acid solutions that free the metals from the electronic pathways. The recovered metal is used in the manufacturing of other products while the hazardous acid waste finds its ways in the local water sources.

– Landfills: This is the most common methodology of e-waste disposal. Soil is excavated and trenches are made for burying the e-waste in it. An impervious liner is made of clay or plastic with a leach ate basin for collection and transferring the e-waste to the treatment plant. However, landfill is not an environmentally sound process for disposing off the e-waste as toxic substances like cadmium, lead and mercury are released inside the soil and ground water.

Incineration

Landfills

Acid Baths

Environmental Impacts

• Studies conducted in China discovered heavy contamination in e-waste recycling regions

– Soil, air, water, and sediments all contained high levels of contamination

• Trace metals (Lead, Zinc, Nickel, Copper, Mercury, and Cadmium)

• Polychlorinated Biphenyls

• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

• Dioxins

Noble Methods of disposing e-waste

• Redesign of computer components

– Simplification of the deconstruction process

• Consumer Education

– Easy to access information about where to dispose of unwanted electronics

• Updated Sorting Methods

- Automated sorting processes: Process that separates organic matter and redevelops recyclable materials

Methods

• Samples taken of soil, air, and water in areas surrounding disposal sites

– Taken before the test is begun and once a week every week after the start

• This will be considered a success if contamination levels are the same or lower than the initial samples

Desired Results• The purposed methods aim to:

–Reduce export of e-waste to developing countries

–Reduce the release of hazardous materials during recycling and disposal

Measures to control e-waste

Measures taken by various organizations to handle e-waste

Various organizations that handles e-waste:1. International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement: The International

Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement (INECE) is a global network of environmental compliance and enforcement practitioners dedicated to raising awareness of compliance and enforcement across the regulatory cycle; developing networks for enforcement cooperation; and strengthening capacity to implement and enforce environmental requirements.

2. Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI): The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) is a private, non-profit trade association representing more than 1,600 private and public for-profit companies – ranging from small, family-owned businesses to multi-national corporations—operating at more than 6,000 facilities in the United States and 30 countries worldwide.

3. Solving the E-waste Problem (StEP): The StEPis an international initiative, created to develop solutions to address issues associated with Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). Some of the most eminent players in the fields of Production, Reuse and Recycling of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE), government agencies and NGOs as well as UN Organisations count themselves among its members. StEP encourages the collaboration of all stakeholders connected with e-waste, emphasising a holistic, scientific yet applicable approach to the problem.

Various initiatives by the organizations• The Basel Action Network (BAN) is a non-governmental charitable

organization working to combat the export of toxic waste, toxic technology and toxic products from industrialized societies to developing countries. BAN is based in Seattle, Washington, United States, with a partner office in the Philippines. BAN is named after the Basel Convention, a United Nations treaty designed to control and prevent the dumping of toxic wastes, particularly on developing countries. BAN serves as a watchdog and promoter of the Basel Convention and its decisions.

• The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, usually known as the Basel Convention, is an international treaty that was designed to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to prevent transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries (LDCs). It does not, however, address the movement of radioactive waste. The Convention is also intended to minimize the amount and toxicity of wastes generated, to ensure their environmentally sound management as closely as possible to the source of generation, and to assist LDCs in environmentally sound management of the hazardous and other wastes they generate.The Convention was opened for signature on 22 March 1989, and entered into force on 5 May 1992. As of February 2014, 180 states and the European Union are parties to the Convention. Haiti and the United States have signed the Convention but not ratified it.

• China RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances), officially known as Administrative Measure on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products is a Chinese government regulation to control certain materials, including lead. All items shipped to China now have to be marked as to whether the items contained in the box are compliant or non-compliant. The Electronic Information Products (EIP) logo or other label is used to mark parts and assemblies that do not contain unacceptable amounts of substances identified by the regulations, and that are environmentally safe. Units that do contain hazardous substances are marked with the EIP logo including an Environment Friendly Use Period (EFUP) value in years.

• The e-Stewards Initiative is an electronics waste recycling standard created by the Basel Action Network. In 2009, BAN published the e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of Electronic Equipment which set forth requirements for becoming a Certified e-Stewards Recycler—a program that "recognizes electronics recyclers that adhere to the most stringent environmentally and socially responsible practices when recovering hazardous electronic materials." Recyclers that were qualified under the older Pledge program had until September 1, 2011 to achieve certification to the Standard by an e-Stewards Accredited Certification Body accredited by ANAB (ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board).

• Sustainable Electronics Initiative (SEI) is an initiative started in the United States in the summer of 2009 by the Illinois Sustainable Technology Centre, which is a division of the Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. SEI is dedicated to developing and implementing sustainable means for the design, manufacturing, remanufacturing, and recycling of electronics (computers, cell phones, televisions, printers, etc.) Members of SEI include individuals from academia, non-profit organizations, government agencies, manufacturers, designers, recyclers and refurbishers.

E-waste in India

India generates close to

500,000 tons e-waste p.a.Generated 0.8 million ton in 2013

E-waste in India

E-waste in India

Broad break up appears as under:

Mumbai : 50,000 tons

Delhi : 35,000

Bangalore : 30,000

Chennai : 25,000

Kolkata : 19,000

Ahmedabad : 14,000

Hyderabad : 13,000

Pune : 10,000

Indore : 8,000

WASTE PILING UP

1. Over 400 million current mobile users expected to

increase to 500 million by 2010 end

2. Indians purchased 40 million mobile phones in past 5 years including 9.28 million in 2007

3. Over 14 million old PCs ready for disposal in India

Considerable facts for India

Magnitude of e-waste in India

• As per a study released by MAIT, India generated 330,000 MT of electronic waste in

2007, while an additional 50,000 MT was illegally imported

• MAIT estimates that by 2011, e-waste in India would touch 470,000 MT

• The Western region contributes maximum to e-waste generation – up to 35%

• Sixty five cities in India generate up to 60% of total e-waste

• Ten states alone generate more than 70% of total e-waste

• MAIT estimates that only 19,000 tonnes of the total e-waste generated gets

ultimately processed by the formal recycling sector

• As per the study, around 94% of corporates in India do not have a policy on disposal

of obsolete IT products/ e-waste

Ferrous

Metal, 32%

Plastic, 23%

Non-ferrous Metal, 18%

Glass, 15%Electronic

Boards, 12%

Contents of a Computer

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

North East West South

E-Waste Generation in IndiaAnnual E-Waste Generated3,32,979 MT

Available for Recycling1,44,443 MT

E-Waste Processed19,000 MT

How informal sector deals with?

• A relatively new industry in India, traditionally dominated by the unorganized

segment

• Scrap dealers and rag-pickers gather e-waste from households in their area of

operation and employ crude and highly unsafe processes for recycling the same,

causing significant environmental damage

– open burning of wires to extract resalable copper, soaking of circuit boards in acid baths to

extract precious metal, disposing the residue into open drains or land, etc.

• The formal e-waste recycling segment consists of a few large players which have the

proper infrastructure to handle e-waste equipment

Unsafe methods for e-waste recycling

• The unorganised segment often employs crude and highly unsafe processes for while

recycling e-waste, and extracting precious materials therefrom

Conclusion

From the above data we can conclude that e-waste is a threat for the world. The rate at which it is increasing has create a question mark on the development policies of all nations. We have i-phones, windows, mac’s but more we are using these stuffs, the more it is creating a threat on our own survival. So it depends on us that how we are concerned about this problem and from starting with us we can help the whole world to overcome this hurdle as we have to maintain sustainable development.

Evil of e-waste