PUNE With persistent and near-continuous lockdowns forcing people to work from home, e-waste has increased four-fold since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. This in turn has brought to the fore the immense increase in use of electronics items.
Harshad Barde, director, Swach, said, “E-waste consists of any appliance that runs on electricity which has the potential to cause damage to the environment if it is not disposed of in a responsible way. Common items that contribute to electrical and electronic waste are large household appliances (refrigerators/freezers, washing machines, dishwashers); small household appliances (toasters, coffeemakers, irons, hairdryers); information technology (IT) and telecommunications equipment (personal computers, telephones, mobile phones, laptops, printers, scanners, photocopiers); consumer equipment (televisions, stereo equipment, electric toothbrushes); lighting equipment (fluorescent lamps); electrical and electronic tools (handheld drills, saws, screwdrivers); toys, leisure and sports equipment; medical equipment (with the exception of all implanted and infected products); monitoring and control instruments; and automatic dispensers.”
When Swach and the solid waste department of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) initially began e-waste drives in 2018, electronics items were not as popular and hardly 12.5 tonne of e-waste was collected annually. In 2019, the annual e-waste collection plummeted to 10 tonne per annum. However, Covid-19 and the consequent work-from-home situation led to e-waste collection increasing to 13 tonne per annum.
According to Swach however, the average e-waste collection has risen due to increased outreach efforts and V collect drives held across the city. The organisation carried out 154 V collect drives over a year between July 2020 and June 2021 resulting in an e-waste collection of 19.5 tonne till date. Barde said that the maximum e-waste collection took place in areas such as Aundh, Kothrud, Warje, Erandwane, Hadapsar, Dhankawadi- Sahakar Nagar and Dhole Patil Road.
{{/usCountry}}According to Swach however, the average e-waste collection has risen due to increased outreach efforts and V collect drives held across the city. The organisation carried out 154 V collect drives over a year between July 2020 and June 2021 resulting in an e-waste collection of 19.5 tonne till date. Barde said that the maximum e-waste collection took place in areas such as Aundh, Kothrud, Warje, Erandwane, Hadapsar, Dhankawadi- Sahakar Nagar and Dhole Patil Road.
{{/usCountry}}Barde said, “All the e-waste is sent to authorised recycling / dismantling vendors while functional electronics are directed towards waste-pickers and slum communities. We are planning to connect with the manufacturers of tube lights and bulbs so as to coordinate for the recycling of such items. The children of waste-pickers have a dire need for smart phones and laptops due to online schooling. Any donations will go a long way in supporting the waste-pickers’ children’s education.”