Electronic Waste Generation Recorded Dramatic Surge in India

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The country witnessed massive spike in e-waste generation during the previous year, said Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change. He said this in reply to a question raised by a member in the Rajya Sabha.

According to the minister, the country generated 10,14,961.20 tonnes of electronic waste during the previous year. This is significantly higher by 31.6% from the year before. The minister informed the House that the country has national level e-waste data only from 2017-’18 onwards. The e-waste generation had totalled 7,08,445 tonnes in 2017-’18, which further increased by almost 9% to total 7,71,215 tonnes in 2018-’19.

The e-waste generation is directly correlated to sales of electronic and electric equipment. There has been a steady rise in sales over the period under study, thus leading to a corresponding surge in e-waste volumes.

The Minister noted that the country has not reported any death related to e-waste. It has been striving hard to set up an efficient e-waste collection mechanism and promote responsible recycling of materials through certified recyclers.  As of now, there are 400 certified e-waste recyclers or dismantlers operating in 20 states across the country. It aims to curtail illegal collection and recycling operations, thus preventing hazardous chemicals from polluting the environment.

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