Module 5

E - WASTE MANAGEMENT

• Electronic waste or e-waste is a term for electronic products that have become
unwanted, non-working or obsolete and have essentially reached the end of their useful
life. Because technology advances at such a high rate, many electronic devices become
trash after a few short years of use.
• Electronic waste or ‘e-waste’ in general refers to electrical and electronic equipment
(EEE) that has ceased to be of any value to its owners. European Union (EU, 2002)
which, is one of the earliest legislation in the world to have recognised this specialised
waste stream, defines EEE as equipment which is dependent on electric currents or
electromagnetic fields.

Composition:
• E-waste normally contains valuable, as well as potentially toxic materials. The
composition of e-waste depends strongly on factors such as the type of electronic
device, the model, manufacturer, date of manufacture, and the age of the scrap.
• Valuable metals like gold, platinum, silver and palladium.
• Useful metals like copper, aluminium, iron etc.
• Hazardous substances like radioactive isotopes and mercury.
• Toxic substances like PCBs and Dioxins.
• Plastic like High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS),
Polycarbonate (PC), Polyphenylene oxide (PPO) etc.
• Glass material like Cathode Ray Tube glass made up of SiO
E-waste Generation:
• This year’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) will total about 57.4
million tonnes (MT) and will be greater than the weight of the Great Wall of China,
Earth’s heaviest artificial object.
• According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), India generated more than
10 lakh tonnes of e-waste in 2019-20, an increase from 7 lakh tonnes in 2017-18.
Against this, the e-waste dismantling capacity has not been increased from 7.82 lakh
tonnes since 2017-18.

Asha Bhat, Department of chemistry, RNSIT BCS508

Characteristics:
• Hazardous components in e-waste: Electronic waste consists of a large number of
components of various sizes and shapes some of which contain hazardous component
that need to be removed for separate treatment.
• Material composition of e-waste: E-waste contains a mixture of various metals,
particularly copper, aluminium and steel attached to, covered with or mixed with
various types of plastics and ceramics.
• Precious metals have a wide application in the manufacture of electronic appliances
serving as contact material due to their high chemical stability and their good
conducting properties.
• Platinum group metals are used among other things in switching contacts. It is obvious
that the copper and precious metals make-up more than 80 % of the value for most of
the e-waste samples. Recovery of precious metals and copper remain as the major
economic driver for a long time.
• Complexity: E-waste often contains a complex mixture of materials, making it
challenging to recycle and dispose of properly.
• Hazardousness: E-waste can contain hazardous materials such as heavy metals, flame
retardants, and batteries, which can pose significant environmental and health risks.
• Volatility: E-waste is a rapidly growing waste stream due to the increasing use of
electronic devices and the limited lifespan of many electronic products.
• Global issue: E-waste is a global issue, as electronic devices are manufactured, used,
and discarded worldwide.
• Resource depletion: The extraction of raw materials for electronic devices contributes
to resource depletion, and the improper disposal of e-waste can lead to environmental
contamination and waste of valuable resources.

E‐Waste Generation:
• Manufactures need to use certain chemicals, elements, and compounds to synthesize a
final consumer product.
• Years of R&D, multiple product generations, and consumers’ willingness to “upgrade”,
creates a constant supply of this type of waste.

Asha Bhat, Department of chemistry, RNSIT BCS508

 • Items that contain numerous electrical components, generate the largest amount of e‐
waste. (i.e. Computers)

• “Buy new Items” is the 1st stage in the wheel.

• The 2nd stage in this "wheel of life" is returning end‐of‐life appliances or Waste
Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). Fees might be applicable for certain
wastes.
• The 3rd phase involves “Detoxification” – the removal of critical components from the
e‐waste in order to avoid dilution or contamination with toxic substances. This work
requires much manual labor and thus is unprofitable.
• The 4th stage involves the shredding of like materials so they can be prepared for
refinement.

Asha Bhat, Department of chemistry, RNSIT BCS508

 • The 5th and final stage, is refinement, where Most of the fractions need to be refined
or conditioned in order to be sold as secondary raw materials or to be disposed of in a
final disposal site, respectively.

Global Policy
• On the policy front, 81 countries have adopted e-waste policy, legislation or regulation.
67 countries have legal provisions on EPR for e-waste.
• Another 46 have provisions on e-waste collection rate targets. Finally, 36 countries
have provisions on e-waste recycling rate targets.

Status in India

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has comprehensively revised
the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 and notified the E-Waste (Management) Rules,
2022 in November, 2022 and the same is in force since 1st April, 2023.
• These new rules intend to manage e-waste in an environmentally sound manner and put
in place an improved Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regime for e-waste
recycling wherein all the manufacturer, producer, refurbisher and recycler are required
to register on a portal developed by the CPCB.
• The new provisions would facilitate and channelize the informal sector to the formal
sector for doing business and ensure recycling of E-waste in an environmentally sound
manner.

Health hazards of E-Waste:

• Lead: Found in cathode ray tubes and circuit boards. Exerts toxic effects on various
systems in the body such as the central (organic affective syndrome) and peripheral
nervous systems (motor neuropathy), the hemopoietic system (anaemia), the
genitourinary system (capable of causing damage to all parts of nephron) and the
reproductive systems (male and female).
• Mercury: Used in flat screen display and lighting. Causes damage to the genitourinary
system, the central and peripheral nervous systems as well as the foetus. When
inorganic mercury spreads out in the water, it is transformed into methylated mercury,

Asha Bhat, Department of chemistry, RNSIT BCS508

 which bio-accumulates in living organisms and concentrates through the food chain,
particularly by fish.
• Cadmium: Used in batteries and semiconductors. Is a potentially long-term cumulative
poison. Toxic cadmium compounds accumulate in the human body and can act as
carcinogen.
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH): Affects lung, skin and bladder.
Epidemiological studies in the past on occupational exposure to PAH provide sufficient
evidence of the role of PAH in the induction of skin and lung cancers.
• Flame retardants: Used in plastics, circuit board and cables. It can disturb endocrine
and reproductive system.

Effect of e-waste on environment:

• The Negative Effects on Air: Contamination in the air occurs when e-waste is
informally disposed by dismantling, shredding or melting the materials, releasing dust
particles or toxins, into the environment that cause air pollution.
• The Negative Effects on Soil: Regular landfill of both heavy metals and
flame retardants can seep directly into the soil, causing contamination of underlying
groundwater or contamination of crops that may be planted nearby or in the area in
the future. When the soil is contaminated by heavy metals, the crops become vulnerable
to absorbing these toxins, which can cause many illnesses and doesn’t allow the
farmland to be as productive as possible.
• The Negative Effects on Water: The heavy metals such as mercury, lithium, lead and
barium may reach groundwater, they eventually reach to ponds, streams, rivers and
lakes. Through these pathways, acidification and toxification are created in the water,
which is unsafe for animals, plants and communities.

Hazardous properties of E – Waste:

• Toxicity: Harmful elements in e waste can enter soil, air, and water affecting humans
and wildlife.
• Corrosive effects: Chemical reactions from metals and acids in e waste components
can degrade other materials, creating secondary pollutants.
• Persistence: Many pollutants in e waste do not degrade, causing long term
contamination in ecosystems.

Asha Bhat, Department of chemistry, RNSIT BCS508

 • Common E-waste Disposal Methods: There are a few different ways to dispose of e-
waste that have historically been employed; each come with their own set of
environmental issues.
• Landfilling: Digging a massive hole in the ground, filling it with waste and then
covering it back up with soil to prevent toxic waste from leeching into the environment,
some substances such as cadmium, lead, and mercury may contaminate soil and
groundwater.
• Acid Bath: Soaking electronic circuits in acids such as sulphuric, hydrochloric, or
nitric acid solutions separates metals from the electronic pathways. The metals can then
be recycled.
• Incineration: A very crude e-waste disposal method that involves burning the waste in
an extremely high temperature incinerator. The benefits include, reduce waste volume
and generate energy.
• Recycling: Many items of e-waste can be dismantled and their component parts
repurposed into new products.
• Informal Sector Handling: In many countries, informal workers collect and recycle e
waste without proper safety measures, leading to exposure to toxic substances.

Basic Principles of E- Waste management:

Reuse, Reduce & Recycle (3Rs):

• Reuse: By far, the most environmentally friendly e-waste disposal technique is for,
where possible, devices to be reused. Many charities will gladly accept old electronic
devices that can then be refurbished and redistributed to people in more disadvantaged
communities.
• Reduce: Limit e waste generation through mindful purchasing and extending product
life.
• Recycle: Extract valuable materials and safety dispose of hazardous components.
• Producer responsibility and Take back programs: Manufactures are
responsible for taking back end of life products for recycling.
• Consumer Awareness and Participation: Safe disposal of non-recyclable hazardous
waste.

Asha Bhat, Department of chemistry, RNSIT BCS508

Components of E-Waste Management:
• Collection: Setting up collection centres and take back programs.
• Segregation and Dismantling: After collection and transportation to recycling
facilities, materials in the e-waste stream must be processed and separated. It is the
foundation of electronics recycling. Initial shredding of e-waste stream facilitates
sorting and separation of plastics from metals and internal circuitry.
• Recycling and Resource recovery: Recovery of valuable metals and materials.
Electronics recycling can be challenging because discarded electronics devices are
sophisticated devices manufactured from varying proportions of glass, metals,
and plastics.
• Disposal of residual waste: Safe disposal of non-recyclable hazardous wastes.
• Monitoring and Compliances: Regular audits and inspections to ensure adherence to
regulations.

E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2011 - Salient Features and its implications:

• It apply to every manufacturer, producer, refurbisher, dismantler and recycler.

• All manufacturers, producers, refurbishers and recyclers must register on the Central
Pollution Control Board (CPCB) portal.
• No entity shall carry out any business without registration and not deal with any
unregistered entity.
• Authorization has been replaced by registration through the online portal, and only
manufacturers, producers, refurbishers, and recyclers require registration.
• The quantity recycled will be computed based on end products to avoid any false
claims.
• Provisions for environmental compensation, verification and audit have been
introduced.
• There is a provision for the constitution of a Steering Committee to oversee the overall
implementation of the rules.
• Provision for reducing hazardous substances in the manufacturing of EEE mandates
that every producer of EEE and their components shall ensure that their products do
not contain lead, mercury and other hazardous substances beyond the maximum
prescribed concentration.

Asha Bhat, Department of chemistry, RNSIT BCS508

 • It also provides recognition and registration, skill development, monitoring and
ensuring the safety and health of workers involved in dismantling and recycling e-
waste.
• Implications: Encouraged formal recycling, reduced informal sector dependence and
introduced accountability for manufactures.

E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 - Salient Features and its implications:

• Enhanced EPR Mechanism: Sets collection targets for producers and imposes
penalties for non-compliances.
• Provisions for recycling licenses: Requires certification for e waste recyclers and
promotes efficient resource recovery.
• Digital tracking system: Introduces a digital EPR portal to monitor e waste flows and
compliance.
• Implications: Increase traceability and efficiency in e waste management, strengthens
enforcement and expands collection networks.

Asha Bhat, Department of chemistry, RNSIT BCS508