Bhubaneswar: Many residents still prefer to sell their electronic waste to scrap dealers despite civic authorities creating awareness and declaring norms to collect, dispose of and recycle e-waste, officials said.
Since 2021, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been generating awareness to voluntarily deposit e-waste with registered waste collectors so that it can be processed, as storing and keeping such waste is hazardous. From 2023, the civic body started collecting e-waste every Saturday through Swachh Sathis. However, most of the e-waste goes to scrap dealers as people get money in exchange.
“As per our experience of collection, most of the e-waste still goes to scrap dealers. We have created awareness door-to-door. As a result, we witness voluntary disposal by people, but not as much as they give to scrap dealers. However, our drive will continue so that e-waste comes to us for scientific recycling by registered recyclers instead of scrap dealers,” said BMC assistant commissioner N Ganesh Babu.
BMC officials said although there is no definite data on how much waste goes to scrap dealers in a week, a rough estimate will be around 500 kg. Earlier, BMC also wrote to govt and private offices to inventorise (stock-taking) the e-waste to dispose of during the collection drive every Saturday.
“E-waste handling by scrap dealers is not scientific. It can be hazardous, and there are metals and materials whose exposure can affect people’s health in the long run. They should not be kept stored in houses as well,” said Mahesh Kumar Padhi, a marine engineer.
Sources said the disposal of e-waste by scrap dealers helps recover only 30% of metals. But recycling in a scientific way can recover about 90% of metals from e-waste, which can be reused for various purposes. Electric bulbs and wires are a primary category of e-waste generated, besides tube lights and old television sets. “If a separate regulation comes and the State Pollution Control Board debars scrap dealers from dealing with e-waste, then the current practice may come to an end,” an officer said.
BMC officials said they have separate containers for household hazardous waste, which includes all kinds of e-waste. This includes defunct batteries, home appliances and children’s playing gadgets. Out of 435 waste collecting vehicles, around 400 have separate containers to receive e-waste, which are taken to the e-hub at Nayapalli for processing.