Varanasi launches Cash for Scrap initiative to combat e-waste

The programme extends beyond households, with collection facilities also being extended to offices, schools, colleges, institutions, and industrial units.

In a strategic move toward realising a Smart and Clean Kashi, the Varanasi Nagar Nigam (VNN) has officially authorised the agency Admybin to manage the city’s escalating volume of electronic waste. The new initiative aims to ensure the proper disposal and recycling of e-waste while offering residents a financial incentive for responsible recycling.

For representation only

Under the Cash for Scrap scheme, citizens can dispose of obsolete electronic devices ranging from mobile phones, laptops and printers to refrigerators, fans and batteries through a convenient, door-to-door collection service. The programme extends beyond households, with collection facilities also being extended to offices, schools, colleges, institutions, and industrial units.

Municipal commissioner Himanshu Nagpal has appealed to residents to separate electronic waste from general household refuse, emphasising that the initiative is critical to the city’s broader mission of “Clean Kashi through Responsible Recycling.”

“Discarding these items along with regular household waste can have a detrimental impact on both the environment and public health,” officials noted. By engaging with authorised collection channels, the city ensures that waste is processed safely and sustainably.

Proper recycling is essential to preventing environmental degradation. If devices are discarded with general waste or burned as scrap, toxic metals like lead, mercury, and cadmium can seep into the soil and contaminate groundwater.

Citizens looking to dispose of e-waste and receive payment for their old items can schedule a pickup by calling the dedicated helpline at 8335955000. Once contacted, a team will be scheduled to visit the location and collect the items for safe processing.