Nearly 330,000 tonnes of e-waste is generated annually in India, according to a study conducted by the e-technology group of IMRB International for the Manufacturers’ Association of Information Technology (Mait) and the Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ). IMRB International is a market research firm. Mait is the apex body representing India’s information technology (IT) hardware sector. GTZ is a private international enterprise based in Germany that works for sustainable development.
Of the total e-waste, the study found, only about 43.2% finds its way into recycling. An additional 50,000 tonnes is estimated to be illegally imported. Most of this is refurbished and resold, leaving about 19,000 tonnes, representing 5.7% of the total waste, which is processed in the country. About 94% of the organizations studied did not have a policy on disposal of obsolete IT products. The study only covered e-waste generated by end-of-life computers, mobile phones and television sets.
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