A roadmap for development of sustainable E-waste management system in India.
The problem of E-waste has forced Environmental agencies of many countries to innovate, develop and adopt environmentally sound options and strategies for E-waste management, with a view to mitigate and control the ever growing threat of E-waste to the environment and human health. E-waste management is given the top priority in many developed countries, but in rapid developing countries like India, it is difficult to completely adopt or replicate the E-waste management system in developed countries due to many country specific issues viz. socio-economic conditions, lack of infrastructure, absence of appropriate legislations for E-waste, approach and commitments of the concerned, etc. This paper presents a review and assessment of the E-waste management system of developed as well as developing countries with a special emphasis on Switzerland, which is the first country in the world to have established and implemented a formal E-waste management system and has recycled 11kg/capita of WEEE against the target of 4kg/capita set by EU. And based on the discussions of various approaches, laws, legislations, practices of different countries, a road map for the development of sustainable and effective E-waste management system in India for ensuring environment, as well as, occupational safety and health, is proposed.
Wath
Sushant B
SB
National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur-440 020, India. sb_wath@neeri.res.in
Vaidya
Atul N
AN
Dutt
P S
PS
Chakrabarti
Tapan
T
D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D059029:Electronic Waste / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D058735:Environmental Policy; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007194:India; D018505:Waste Management / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods*