Sustainable E-Waste Management in India
Muralidharan Sree Shankari (University of Tsukuba)
Higano Yoshiro (University of Tsukuba)
Helmut Yabar (University of Tsukuba)
Introduction
E-waste is the end-of-life electronic and electrical gadgets. As a consequence of increase inproduction combined with rapid product obsolescence and lower costs, discarded electronic andelectrical equipments or ‘e-waste’ is now the most rapidly growing waste problem in the world. As
per current estimates, the global e-waste market is forecasted to reach 53 million tonnes by 2012.
Currently India is estimated to generate more than 800000 tonnes of e-waste annually.
In India, e-waste is primarily recycled by people in the informal sector. Yet, insufficient andpoor working conditions in addition to low environmental standards endanger people and theenvironment alike. The new rules and regulations alongwith increasing formal recyclers pose a serious
threat to the livelihood of the informal sector. This trained human resource with their capacities gained
over many years of operation and their skills in management of e-waste will be wasted if not utilized
effectively.
For e-waste management to be sustainable it should have all environmental, social andeconomical benefits. It is not sustainable if it makes thousands of poor people jobless to achieveenvironmental gains. So it becomes very important to inlcude this informal sector within theframework of current set of rules and integrate them with the formal recycling sector.
This study examines the possibility of integrating the informal sector with the formal recycling
sector and brings out the mutual gains from the increased co-operation between the formal andinformal sector.
Objective of the paper
1. To describe the role of the informal sector involvement in e-waste collection and processing inIndia;
2. To explain the waste flows in the e-waste recycling sector;
3. To suggest a method for integrating the informal and the formal sector;
Methodology
A comprehensive review of the existing literature was done to document the role of informal sector inrecycling, especially e-waste recycling. The review included articles from scientific journals andreports published by leading multilateral organisations, non-profit organisations, research institutes,
industry bodies and regulatory agencies on the e-waste recycling from 2003 to 2012.Informal sector
Informal workers are those whose legal status is not clear. These include workers who work in units
or who may be individual workers employed on a daily basis. They also include migrant workers who
are used as cheap labour in the unorganised sector. They are not governed by any laws related toemployment. Most workers in the cities are a part of this informal or the unorganised sector such as
the daily wage workers in markets, domestic helpers, rag pickers, etc.
Waste business and informal sector
Waste management activities like collecting, sorting, trading and processing waste materials serve asincome opportunities for large numbers of uneducated poor and also provide a solution for waste
management problems in developing countries.
Role of informal sector in waste management:•

Rapidly increasing waste volumes alongwith complexity and capacity constraints of local

authorities to manage it.
•Ability of informal workers to divert waste going to landfills•

Significant reduction in GHG emissions by informal recycling comparitively•

Utilization of the economic value of waste•

Inadequate waste management infrastructure

Figure 1: Comparison of average annual GHG emissions reductions by waste treatment options
Informal sector in e-waste in India
In India reports suggest that 95% of the e-waste is segregated, dismantled and recycled in the informalsector. This sector includes waste pickers, collectors, scrap dealers, dismantlers and recyclers.

Figure 2: Hierarchy of informal recycling sector in India
Material and process flow
The informal sector, though unorganised has a well-defined hierarchy and structure. The waste
collectors are the most important link in this waste flow and are responsible for the collection of wastefrom all consumers and manufactures. The waste then flows to scrap dealers, who at the first stage
separate the functional components, reuse them, and also engage in refurbishing some of the discarded
electrical and electronic equipments (EEE). The remaining part is dismantled or sold off todismantlers. It is here that the waste is further separated as monitors, CPU and other parts and thenbroken down to individual components and materials. The waste then finally is sent to recyclers formaterial recovery. The unused and unsold component and material, both at dismantling and recycling
levels, ends up at the landfill.

Figure 3: Material and financial flow in e-waste management in India

Financial flow
Recycling of e-waste is a market-driven and growing industry in India. The waste collectors pay
consumers a positive price for their obsolete appliances unlike in the developed countries whereconsumers are charged a fee for disposal (Advance Recycling Fee or Disposal Fee). The smallcollectors in turn sell their collections to traders who aggregate and sort different kinds of waste andthen sell it to recyclers, who recover the metals. The reusable equipments and components aresegregated and attract a higher price in the market. In case of e-waste discards from large companies
they are auctioned through tenders to the highest bidders. At times the dealers jointly bid for the scrap
and share the total waste among them for further processing.
Growth of formal recycling
The shift of waste to clean channel is important due to its the environmental and health advantages.
But the formalisation of e-waste recycling may render thousands of informal workers unemployed.
The role of informal sector in collection, segregation and dismantling is very important, bothenvironmentally and socially.
The E-waste (Management & Handling Rules) were framed in 2012 with the clear objectives ofsafeguarding environment and promoting safe and efficient recycling of electronic waste in India. The
new legislation requires producers and bulk consumers of electronic waste to collect e-waste material
for further handling only to registered collectors, dealers and those that take apart (dismantlers) andrecycle scrap material (recyclers). The new rule has been able to foster the growth of formal recycling
industry, but it has failed to put a curb on the informal operations. The formal units are unable toaccess the materials due to the informal collectors who are able to reach for the door-to-door collection
and are able to pay a good price for the e-waste in comparison to the formal recyclers. The formal
recycling units have high investments and high overheads to meet the environmental compliancerequirements. As a result they are not able to meet the price demanded by the vendors or theconsumers and are thus unable to access e-waste.
A mutual support system that will provide a balance between the cheap labour intensive operations in
the informal sector and the sophisticated mechanized operations in the formal recycling units is thus
needed. Hence it is important to look at the possibilities of integrating the informal sector in theemerging regulated system.
Integrating the formal and informal recycling sectors
As a first step in integrating the formal and informal recycling sectors, positive aspects of both theunits are considered. In the proposed model, the collection, segregation and primary dismantling of ewaste are focused in the informal sector, while the other higher order processes are concentrated in theformal sector.

Figure 4: Dovetailing activities of formal and informal sectors
Manually dismantling (informal) e-waste achieves the highest degrees of material purity. Such highlevels cannot even be obtained by mechanically dismantling electronic waste as it is done in Europe.
However, when it comes to extractive metallurgy, for example from printed circuit plates, a higher
yield of material can be extracted using modern hydrometallurgical processes (formal) like in Europe
rather than relying on extracting metal in acid baths in Indian backyards. By making the informal
sector more formal, the small businesses wholly focus on collecting and dismantling the e-waste,
while leaving the higher order operations to the formal recyclers in India and Europe. This guarantees
that the competitive advantage of the informal sector in collecting and dismantling e-waste more
efficiently is made use of. Recovering the resources professionally on the other hand decreases theenvironmental impact and ensures the highest possible yield of raw material at the same time.

Figure 5: Integration of formal and informal recycling sectors
The creation of associations that comprise different informal e-waste recyclers can be the first step
towards achieving a formalisation of the informal sector stakeholders. The regulatory agencies canmonitor the flow of e-waste so that it is within the clean channel. Civil Society Organisations (NGO)can also play very critical role in building capacity of the recyclers and also in bridging the gap
between the regulator and informal sector. The government could support financially by provision offinancial aid, financial incentives such as subsidies and introduction of insurance schemes.

Figure 6: Linking all the stakeholders in E-waste management
Conclusion:
The informal sector in e-waste management stand the risk of losing their livelihood in thewake of the new rules and mushrooming of formal entrepreneurs. Although it is important to have big
investment recycling infrastructure in the country for e-waste recycling, it is equally important tosafeguard livelihood of thousands who survive on this waste. In the current scenario, incorporating
informal sector workers into e-waste management in India can be socially desirable, economicallyviable, and environmentally sound.
The integration of the informal sector can contribute to reduce overall system costs, negativeenvironmental and climate impacts by shifting the waste headed for disposal through improved reuse
and refurbishment. And finally, it can help to generate income and improve working conditions ofpoor population who often do not have other economic opportunities.
This report has tried to suggest a basic framework for integrating most players in the informal
sector currently engaged in e-waste management. This can be changed depending upon local
conditions and opportunities. This report shows that the integration of informal workers in e-waste
management systems is possible and that it can contribute significantly to sustainable development.
Reference:
1. ELCINA (2009). Study on Status and Potential for E-waste Management in India.
2. Ministry of Environment & Forests and Central Pollution Control Board (2008). Guidelines
for environmentally Sound Management of e-waste.
3. L. Raghupathy. “ E-Waste Recycling In India –Bridging The Gap Between The Informal And
Formal Sector“.
4. Toxics Link (2013). “Environment and Livelihood – Informal Sector Integration in E-waste
Recycling”