YOU CAN now dispose of your old computer or cellphone in a safe way It won't . land up on some Dharavi rooftop and come back to haunt your lungs as its spare parts are burned at street corners.
Maharashtra's first authorised electronic waste (e-waste) unit, Eco Recycling Ltd, has begun operations in Andheri. It is one of four in the country.
"We want to set up another unit too. Mumbai generates about 23,000 tonnes of e-waste every year, but disposal has been very disorganised so far," said Sanjay Khandare, member secretary, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board.
Three years ago Mumbai generated only 11,000 tonnes of e-waste. It now generates the most e-waste in the country .
The functioning is simple. If you want to give away your old computer, TV phone , or any other electronic device, just log on to www.ecoreco.com and they will come and collect it from your doorstep.
From here, your computer will go through size reduction (shredding to a certain size) and segregation and will then sent for metallic extraction to Belgium. "There is no standardised facility in India for metal extraction," said B.K. Soni, head of Eco Recycling. "We have a capacity to process 7,200 tonnes of ewaste annually, which is one third of the city's e-waste generation."
But getting people to be eco-friendly is a challenge. Abroad, an Advanced Recy cling Fee system is followed, where a consumer has to pay for the cost of recycling at the time of purchase. But in India, people are used to kabadiwalas buying their old TVs.
"Thus, nobody wants to give away their old electronics for free, forget about paying for it. While companies are very enthusiastic about the initiative, individuals are not yet aware of the concept," said Soni.
Email this Page