IIT to Launch Online Platform to Tackle Rising E-Waste

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The Indian Institute of Techno logy (IIT) in Chennai will develop an online platform to tackle rising electronic waste. The platform will link various stakeholders, including buyers and sellers, in the formal as well as informal sector and will serve as an online market place for used electronic items.

The platform named ‘e-Source’ is aimed at addressing the gaps in the e-waste sector and promoting a circular economy. The initiative, led by the Indo-German Centre for Sustainability (IGCS), is expected to resolve the problem of e-waste by connecting various buyers and sellers. It has already completed an initial market research study and formal mapping of various stakeholders.

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According to news release, the beta version of the platform is ready. It now seeks more collaboration, especially from informal e-waste players, to initiate a pilot run of the project. IGCS has already initiated discussions with various partners, in order to ensure that enough volume of used electronics is generated for repair, re-use and recycling.

Officially, India is the world’s third biggest e-waste generator, behind the U.S. and China. The country generates over 3.23 million metric tonnes of e-waste per year, the majority of which still continues to be handled by the informal sector.