As Kerala grapples with the problem of garbage accumulated following the devastating floods, most people are clueless regarding the management of e-waste. A major chunk of the solid waste generated comprises discarded electronic devices or their parts.
Unless proper care is taken to dispose such items, the state would face major environmental and health hazards. With mounting heaps of e-waste a matter of concern all over Kerala, steps have to be taken to separate it from other solid wastes for proper management. As the recent floods have piled up, in five days, as much e-waste that would gradually accumulate in five-ten years, the issue calls for urgent attention. According to estimates, at least 10-15 kg of e-waste has been washed away from each house in the flooded localities.
What is e-waste
Electronic or electrical items discarded after use in working as well as non-working condition are termed e-waste. They include mobile phone, computer, laptop, iPad, battery, CFL and LED lamps, TV, radio, digital camera, refrigerator, washing machine, air-conditioner, photocopier, scanner, VCR, DVD player, vacuum cleaner, electronic components of some medical and sport equipment, parts of machinery, electronic parts of automobiles and others.
Toxic chemicals
A major threat posed by discarded electronic items is their toxicity. Most of such gadgets contain chemicals which are harmful to the environment and health like lead and mercury. For instance, a computer which is an item of common use has plastic, lead, aluminium, germanium, iron, tin, copper, gallium, zinc, nickel, barium, indium, vanadium, beryllium, gold, silver, cobalt, manganese, cadmium, chromium, mercury, arsenic, platinum and rhodium in various amounts!
Old desktop computers and TVs have two kg of lead, which causes damage to nerves and impairs growth in human beings.
The floods are believed to have led to the accumulation of a large quantity of CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamps) at several places. This is a major cause of worry as the lamps contain mercury. Though the amount of mercury in each CFL is minute, piling up would lead to the presence of a significant quantity which could pose a major hazard when it seeps into the earth and water. The consequences of Minamata disaster when mercury was discharged into the lake are still felt.
A large number of batteries too would have been washed down from houses as they are widely used in items ranging from toys to advanced medical equipment. Batteries contain mercury, nickel and cadmium which pose a major threat to the environment.
Plastic, which is a crucial component of many electronic gadgets, is also dumped all over the place, choking the earth. Being non-degradable, it remains as such for years. Many people try to dispose it by burning but the fumes produced have poisonous and carcinogenic gases like dioxin.
The Chloro Fluoro Carbons and their substitutes Hydro Chloro Fluoro Carbons which may be leaking out of the refrigerators and air-conditioners damaged during the floods are a major threat to the ozone layer, which protects the earth from ultraviolet radiation.
E-waste management
People in general lack proper awareness regarding e-waste and its disposal. The sad reality is that scientific management of this waste does not take place anywhere in Kerala.
What people can do, is purchase electronic items which have good quality and a long life. Manufacturers should arrange to take back electronic items that are past their life and dispose it properly. Such EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) facilities are available at some places in the world. Locally, e-waste can be collected and taken to a processing center where proper management takes place.
Now with the state facing a major flood tragedy, emergency measures should be adopted to manage the e-waste. While cleaning the houses and shops, care should be taken to separate the e-waste from other solid waste. E-waste should never be burnt or dumped in open spaces or water bodies. Some agencies collect e-waste and dispose it unscientifically. They resort to methods like burning and using acids to separate the costly metals from the electronic items. Experts point out that this is extremely dangerous. We should ensure that e-waste is managed by agencies which stick to scientific and international guidelines in this regard.
The Local Administration Department of Kerala has already issued an order regarding the matter. It says that e-waste from each locality should be collected together and sent to centers suggested by the local bodies. The e-waste from the centers will be transported to the recycling centers with the support of Clean Kerala Company.
A model that can be emulated in this regard was implemented by KITE (Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education – formerly ‘IT@School’) in the schools of the state last year. Under the project, e-waste generated in schools was collected for proper disposal. Some electronic manufacturers have also launched the facility to take back damaged gadgets for scientific disposal. All this gives us hope of a future free from the hazards of e-waste.
