AN INTRODUCTION TO E-

WASTE
Have you ever wondered what happens to your favourite laptop after you throw it away? If
thrown into the garbage bin, it goes straight to landfills. If given off to an e-waste collector,
they will send it to recyclers.

There are different paths these electronic and electrical waste goes in, depending on how they
are disposed of.

The concept of e-waste is still new in India but is of utmost importance.

Did you know that of the total 1,014,961 tonnes of e-waste generated, only 3 – 10% of it gets
recycled?

Is it bad? Yes, it’s extremely bad, for both us and the environment. The other 90% of the e-
waste generated ends up in landfills, incinerators, or is used for illegal trading. The burning
of waste has severe effects on the environment.

This blog educates you about what e-waste is and what all products come under the title.

What is E-Waste?
e-waste means electrical and electronic equipment, whole or in part discarded as waste by the
consumer or bulk consumer as well as rejects from manufacturing, refurbishment and repair
processes.

In simple terms, e-waste is an abbreviation for electronics and electrical equipment and its
parts that have been disposed of by the owner.

The term waste here implies that the product has no further use or used to its maximum
potential.

From a small product such as a circuitry wire to a product as big as a refrigerator, after usage
falls under e-waste. To give you a clear idea, we could categorize e-waste into the following.

What falls under the category of e-waste?

Based on the type of product, e-waste can be categorized into the following.

Screens, Monitors

 Tablets
 Computers
 Laptops
 Monitors
 Televisions
 Notebooks

Home Appliances

Microwaves Home Entertainment Devices

Electric cookers Electronic Utilities

Washing machines, clothes dryers, dish-washing Massage Chairs

machines, electric stoves,

Heaters Heating Pads

Fans Remote Controls

Night Lights Television Remotes

Treadmills Electrical Cords

FitBits Lamps – LED lamps, fluorescent lamps, and high-

intensity discharge lamps

Smart Watches Smart Lights

Heart Monitors Diabetic Testing Equipment

Temperature exchange

Temperature exchange equipment, more commonly referred to as cooling and freezing

equipment

 Refrigerators
 Freezers
 Airconditioners
 Heat pumps
Small Equipment

Vacuum cleaners Microwaves

Electric kettles Ventilation equipment

Toasters electric shavers

Weighing Scales calculators

radio sets video cameras

small electrical and electronic tools electrical and electronic toys

small medical devices small monitoring and control instruments

IT and Telecommunication Equipment

Mobile phones, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), routers, Office and Medical Equipment
pocket calculators, personal computers
printers, telephones

Copiers/Printers Dialysis Machines

WiFi Dongles Imaging Equipment

IT Servers and Server Racks Defibrillator

Phone & PBX systems Power Distribution Systems (PDUs)

Audio & Video Equipment Autoclave

Network Hardware (i.e. servers, switches, hubs, etc.) Cords and Cables

Power Strips & Power Supplies Uninterrupted Power Supplies (UPS Systems)

Large printing machines, copying equipment photovoltaic panels

Why is e-waste Harmful?

The chemicals that are present in electrical and electronics products are toxic for both the
environment and humans. Most products contain chemicals such as mercury, cadmium, lead,
brominated flame retardants, and beryllium. When mishandled, they get mixed with water,
soil and air.
Additionally, the harmful effects of e-waste are only increasing due to illegal export to
countries for disposal.

Inevitably, more e-waste dumped into water bodies, more toxin traces show up in
groundwater.

What’s the Solution to Streamlining e-waste?

The first and foremost thing consumers should do is become aware of what products they are
using and how they are disposing of them off. Conscious disposal of e-waste helps reduce the
rising pile of waste and the harmful results it has.

Secondly, the 3 R’s is a great solution. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. However, reducing the
use of electronics and electrical products is not easy and at one point, impossible.

Reusing products until they reach their end-of-life stage. Instead of throwing away products
after using, donating or selling them is a good idea.

Recycling of e-waste is popularly opted around the world. When you give away a product,
for example, a mobile phone to a recycler, it goes a long way. This mobile phone and its parts
could be used in manufacturing new mobile phones, other non-reusable parts get disposed of
carefully and consciously.

ARSHDEEP SINGH 23SOCE1010019

SAGAR KASANA 23SOCE1010015
JAIPRAKASH SINGH 23SOCE1010038
 ARPIT MALIK 23SOCE1010014
ADARSH KUMAR 23SOCE1010021
ANKAN RAJ 23SOCE1010033
GAURAV KUMAR 23SOCE1010022
ALSHEIKH KASSIM 23SOCE1010052

SUBMITTED TO – DR. AMBIKESH DWIVEDI SIR