INTRODUCTION:
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, (WEEE) "e-waste" or electronic waste is a type of waste which consists of broken or discarded electronic parts from computers and appliances. Many components of electronic equipment is considered toxic and in no way biodegradable. The term electronic waste is used as a broad term, as electronic waste consists of any type of obsolete or broken electronic product that was once used for such things as telecommunications, data processing or for private use. SWICO and SENS are two of the Producer Responsibility Organizations in use today. SENS handles electrical appliances and SWICO handles the electronic waste [1].
CATEGORIES OF ELECTRONIC WASTE:
E- Waste is defined as any unused or discarded electronic appliances. List of electronics e-wastes are as follows: Large appliances ,Small appliances ,IT and telecommunications equipment ,Consumer equipment ,Lighting equipment ,Electrical and electronic tools
The following is a list of elements contained in the examples above:
Lead: Solder, CRT Monitors, Lead-acid battery ,
Tin: Solder ,Copper: copper wire,Printed circuit board tracks ,
Aluminium: in nearly all electronic goods ,
Iron: Steel chassis, cases & fixings,
Silicon: glass, transistors, ICs, Printed circuit boards,
Nickel & Cadmium: Nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries ,
Lithium: Lithium-ion battery ,Zinc: plating for steel parts ,
Gold: connector plating , Americium: Smoke alarms,
Germanium: 1950s & 1960s transistorised electronics,
Mercury: fluorescent tubes (numerous applications), tilt switches,
Sulphur:Lead-acid battery, Carbon:Steel, plastics, resistors [3].
HARMFUL SUBSTANCES CONTAINED IN ELECTRONIC WASTE:
Substances in bulk: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Elements in bulk: Lead, tin, copper, silicon, carbon, iron and aluminium , Elements in small amounts: Cadmium and mercury, Elements in trace amounts: germanium, gallium, barium, nickel, tantalum, indium, vanadium, terbium, beryllium, gold, europium, titanium, ruthenium, cobalt, palladium, manganese, silver, antimony, bismuth, selenium, niobium, yttrium, rhodium, platinum, arsenic, lithium, boron, americium [3] [4].
HAZARDS OF ELECTRONIC WASTE:
E-Waste can be an invaluable secondary raw material, but it is quite toxic. Toxins left untreated are a major source of carcinogens. Sadly and often illegally countries such as China, India and Kenya, accept e-waste sent for processing, as there are lower environmental standards and work conditions. Uncontrolled burning, disassembly and disposal in places such as Delhi and Bangalore, India and in Guiyu in China are allowed causing hazards for safety and health.
HEALTH IMPACTS OF HAZARDOUS ELECTRONIC WASTE:
Many parts of electronics contain valuable metals which are difficult and time consuming to recover. Poor design is often why cheap labour is used to manually disassemble them. One goal of the UNICOR recycling program is to use prisoners instead of machines to disassemble products. Workers in electronics remanufacturing plants and in cathode ray tube recycling (CRT) operations are exposed to many types of heavy metals, such as lead and cadmium [5] .
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS IN EELECTRONIC WASTE AND THEIR EFFECTS ON HUMANS AND THE ENVIRONMENT:
Lead: Lead causes damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems, blood system and kidneys in humans. Cadmium: Cadmium compounds are toxic with a possible risk of irreversible effects on human health. Mercury: When inorganic mercury spreads out in the water, it is transformed to methylated mercury in the bottom sediments. Methylated mercury easily accumulates in living organisms . Hexavalent Chromium (Chromium VI): Some manufacturers still apply this substance as corrosion protection of untreated and galvanized steel plates and as a decorative and hardener for steel housing.Chromium VI can easily pass through membranes of cells and is absorbed producing various toxic effects within the cells. Brominated Flame Retardants: Brominated flame-retardants are a class of brominated chemicals commonly used in electronic products as a means for reducing flammability [4] .
WEEE STATISTICS IN INDIA:
The National WEEE Task-force began a study in India to estimate the amount of e-waste India generated annually. The results show that about 1,46,000 tonnes is generated annually. The top states contributing the highest to this are, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmadabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Surat and Nagpur were ranked largest city wise. In Bangalore 30,000 computers are discarded each year. Which averages of 30% obsolescence rate each year [7].
WEEE MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES IN INDIA:
India's methods for managing e-waste is different and more challenging than more developed countries. Due to the geographical and cultural diversities this makes WEEE management more difficult. These are a few reasons: High volumes of e-waste from both domestic and imported electronics. Inaccurate estimates of the amounts of e-waste created and recycled. Lack of knowledge from both manufacturers and consumers of hazards from improper e-waste disposal. Crude methods used in e-waste recycling such as acid leaching and open air burning creating environmental hazards. Workers unaware of toxins they are exposed to with e-waste and the potential health hazards. Poor quality recycling processes causing the loss of valuable material. Precious metals taken by recyclers or "cherry pickers" and disposing of the rest improperly [5]
TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS AND EFFICIENT APPROACHES AGAINST ELECTRONIC WASTE
India is in need of a much simpler and lower cost technology, but still maintains a high volume of resource recovery with an environmentally friendly approach. Due to increases in regulations, public and commercial scrutiny and those who wish to create a cash flow from e-waste processing, the systems have improved. This has been achieved through the reuse and refurbishing of e-waste.
TRENDS IN EELECTRONIC WASTE RECYCLING:
WEEE Man: Electronic waste was banned in landfills in 1990 in a few European countries which caused the creation of e-waste processing plants. Today's plants combine the best types of dismantling to recover component parts with an increase in the plants themselves to process larger amounts of e-waste more cost effectively. These directives began in 2005 and 2006. They were presented by the EU to the WEEE and the ROHS in 2003. Basel Convention: The treaty designed to reduce shipping hazardous waste materials from one nation to the next, is the Basel Convention. This treaty prevents hazardous waste being sent to less developed countries from developed countries. WEEE Stakeholders: Key stakeholders in e-waste manufacturing facilities are importers and brand owners of electronic and electrical products [6]
GREEN COMPUTING: A TECHNICAL SOLUTION FOR ELECTRONIC WASTE:
The study and practice of using computing resources is known as green computing. Green computing takes into account the economic viability, social responsibility and environmental impacts. More traditional methods focus mainly on economic viability .
ORIGINS:
A new system of labelling launched in 1992 by the U.S . Environmental Protection Agency promotes energy efficient monitors and other technologies. The label is known as the Energy Star [8].
APPROACHES TO GREEN COMPUTING:
Power generation: Since all computers require a power source it is the goal of green computing to use more efficient and eco-friendly methods to generate this power. Virtualization: Developed in 1960 this method is when two or more logical computer systems run on one set of physical hardware. This system was commercialized for x86-compatible computers in the 1990s. Power management: The Advanced Configuration and Power Interface is the industry which standard program interface allows operating systems to control power saving aspects of the hardware. Newer hardware: Newer systems are now designed for the purpose of reducing power consumption. Four primary computer vendors are Everex, Linutop, Systemax and Zonbu.Materials recycling: Those items which are obsolete but can be donated to non-profit organizations [8] .
GREEN COMPUTING PRACTICES:
Reducing Paper Waste: Computers use vasts amount of paper and produce great amounts of paper waste. Recycle waste paper: Using 100% post consumer recycled paper is more accepted for printers and copiers.Reusing and recycling: Ink jet cartridges and batteries can be recycled saving costs and reducing e-waste and other pollutants. Purchasing recommendations: Equipment for computers should be purchased only if there is a need, not an impulse. Network and share printers: Green computers should be the choice to purchase, as they are energy efficient and manufactured in a less polluting manner. Campus Environmental Policies: Campus policy is to reduce energy use per square foot in a campus building. Creating a more stabilized or reduced energy consumption need and less emissions [8].
CONCLUSION:
We have to think of better ways to face the challenges regarding e-waste. Developed and developing countries both have to work together to protect our environment from this serious problem. To prevent an e-waste crisis, manufacturers must design clean electronics with longer lifespans, that are safe and easy to recycle. We must come together and make this one of our most important millennium development goals.
REFERENCES:
[1] Electronic Waste: - New World Encyclopedia: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Electronic_waste
[2] eWASA- Paving the way towards Environmentally Sound e-Waste Management for SouthAfrica:http://www.ewaste.org.za/files/otherdocs/eWASA%20Section%2021%20established_final_0.doc.
[3] E-Waste or WEEE (Waste of Electronic and Electrical Equipment) http://www.foreindia.com/introduction.html
[4] E-Waste : A Growing Environmental Menance: http://csi-india.org/e-waste-growing-environmental-menance
[5]Electronic waste From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_waste
[6] e-waste, http://www.scribd.com/doc/22959523/e-waste
[7] CollectiveGood and Environmental Issues, http://www.collectivegood.com/environmental.asp
[8] green computing, http://www.squidoo.com/green-pc