Not plastic, but electronic waste or e-waste is the fastest growing stream of waste globally. This is a natural corollary of the fact that technology is playing a huge role in the lives of people, so e-gadgets that are purchased and have run their life cycle have to be disposed off. Yet, they can’t be just dumped in the garbage, not even the dry waste as how this disposal is done is very important. E-waste is hazardous consisting of toxic components which if not disposed in the proper manner will disrupt the functioning of eco-system. This is the new concern across the globe and hence a day dedicated to e-waste.
This is the reality of the situation – a massive increase in production of electrical and electronic equipment primarily due to industrialisation, urbanisation and higher levels of disposable income, but as seen in recent months due to the increased dependence on online platforms for working and learning. The pandemic forced people who otherwise would not use electronic devices to come to rely on them for a variety of reasons. Take for instance how schools that banned cell phones from their campuses had no option but to conduct classes online which students accessed and attended via mobile phones. Families that had a single computer system and mobile phones for the adults were compelled to purchase additional electronic devices for the children for their school work and for the adults to work from home.
With both – work and school – happening simultaneously, the sales of electronic gadgets saw a massive rise globally. As a result, the increased purchase of electronic equipment is going to lead to a massive increase in e-waste when these devices complete their lifecycle and need to be disposed. Goa did not fall behind in the use of electronic devices and over the past months connectivity issues have been raised frequently especially as children needed to access the online classes. Little thought was given to the disposal of the e-waste that was being created and will be created. With shorter life spans of the devices, the amount of waste could take a steep uphill curve very soon.
Is Goa handling its e-waste in the acceptable and scientific manner? As per Goa State Pollution Control Board, annually they receive 180 metric tonnes of e-waste through dismantlers and approximately 300-400 metric tonnes from e-waste collection centres. A circular of the Board makes it incumbent on all government offices have to hand over their e-waste to registered e-waste dismantlers. Currently e-waste that is collected is dismantled, segregated and components that can be recycled are dispatched for this purpose and the rest for safe disposal. Now, the waste received is from the registered handlers. There is no figure for the amount of e-waste that may be just dumped along with the other garbage. In order to handle e-waste Goa requires to quickly raise the recycling potential several notches. There is no figure for the amount of e-waste that is handled by the informal sector, which does so in an unscientific manner that could be dangerous. Goa needs a proper plan for handling its e-waste.
But e-waste is not just a local problem, but a global one. The same issues that the State is facing in the disposal of e-waste are also plaguing the country and countries across the globe. Developed countries are known to be dispatching their e-waste to developing countries, which is not the best practice to handle this waste. Handling e-waste requires a global effort with local support. Goa has its role to play in this and cannot allow itself to fall behind in handling e-waste. The State, due to its size, can actually take the lead in the country in handling e-waste that can be emulated by other States.
