E-waste & India

Photo: flickr.com, accessed 11/4/10

How imported E-waste affects India

-Environment
-People
-Economy
 Focus-
Where does it all go?
• The affects of importing and exporting E-waste
• Specifically: Affects of imported E-waste on India
• I am interested to see how one countries waste is affecting
another countries environment and people, and what policies
are in place to moderate this.
• Research is aimed at finding out what policies exist in relation to
exporting e-waste, what research has been done on the affects
E-waste has on the environment, and how E-waste has affected
Indian people from national and international perspectives.
• search methods include databases, search engines, news sites,
blogs and other topic specific websites.  
SOURCES
 Scary Stats
• Shows stats from e-recycling sites in Bangalore, India of
trace elements of harmful chemicals found in air, soil and
human hair resulting from stripping & recycling electronics.
• not specific to imported E-waste.
• Useful stats for the effects of unmonitored recycling sites
on environment and workers
• “About 50–80% of e-waste from the industrialized countries
are exported to recycling centers in developing… because of
the lower wages for labor and less functional/lenient
environmental regulations in these countries “

• http://ey9ff7jb6l.search.serialssolutions.com.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/?
&url_ver=Z39.88-
2004&url_ctx_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mt
x:journal&rft.atitle=Contamination%20by%20trace%20elements%20at%20e-
waste%20recycling%20sites%20in%20Bangalore%2C
%20India&rft.auinit=N&rft.aulast=Ha&rft.date=2009&rft.epage=15&rft.genr
e=article&rft.issn=0045-
6535&rft.issue=1&rft.spage=9&rft.stitle=CHEMOSPHERE&rft.title=CHEMOSP
HERE&rft.volume=76&rfr_id=info:sid/www.isinet.com:WoK:CCC&rft.au=Agu
sa%2C%20T&rft.au=Ramu%2C%20K&rft.au=Tu%2C%20N&rft.au=Murata
%2C%20S&rft.au=Bulbule%2C%20K
• Ha N, Agusa T , Ramu K, Tu, N, Murata S, Bulbule K, Parthasaraty P,
Takahashi S, Subramanian A, Tanabe S, 2009 ‘Contamination by trace
elements at e-waste recycling sites in Bangalore, India’, Chemosphere,
Volume 76, Issue 1, pn 9-15, Accessed 17/3/10, University of Wollongong
 An Indian Opinion
• Chandrasekar, G 2008, ‘India: A burial ground of Worlds
electronic Waste’ accessed 23/3/10
http://www.merinews.com/article/india-a-burial-ground-of-
worlds-electronic-waste/130313.shtml

• This secondary source is useful as an example of

Indian opinion, specific to imported E-waste
• Gives an insight into the industry of recycling for
scrap metal- good money but grave health risks
• It also provides an opinion on the difficulty faced by
the Government of tracking E-waste importation, as
most comes in under plastic scrap, or as ‘donations’
Photo from flickr.com, accessed 11/4/10 to schools etc.
• May hold a negative bias against importation.  -
accuses developed nations & major corps of
exploiting Indias environment and people, justifying
it as giving employment to developing countries
 Showing the damage
 Wikipedia, 2010, ‘Electronic Waste-
Problems’ accessed 24/3/10 http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_was
te#Problems
• This Tertiary source provides a useful
list of the negative effects of
electronic recycling on developing
countries, including India
• Indicates that the US hasn’t ratified
the Basal Convention, has no
domestic laws forbidding exportation
of toxic waste, therefore claims 80%
of US waste if exported.-Basal Action
Network
• The information provided is not
sourced and therefore may be
unreliable.
• Greenpeace, 2005, ‘Greenpeace: Toxic
E-Waste in China and India Dumps’,
Design News, Vol. 60, Issue 14, p34-34,
University of Wollongong Database
• This secondary source talks about a
greenpeace report releasing stats on
toxic releases from electronic recycling.
• does not provide exact figures of toxins
found in the soil and so would be most
useful as support documentation
• It is a brief and is again not specific to
imported e-waste.
• http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uo
w.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?
vid=2&hid=113&sid=a6370c69-cd1d-4
7b2-8bac-af05a1652318%40sessionmg
 Internal Policies
• The Hazardous Wastes • Shows the current
(Management and legislation for managing
Handling) Rules, 1989 hazardous waste.
(as amended, May, • 13. specific to importing
2003), Delhi of hazardous waste-
Government, outlines rules but not
http://dpcc.delhigovt.ni punishments
c.in/act_hazardous.htm
• Not specific to E-waste
 International Concern
• Thakker, N 2006, ‘India's Toxic Landfills: A
dumping Ground for the World's Electronic
Waste’ Sustainable Development Law & Policy,
Volume 3, pn 58-61, accessed 23/3/10, http://
vlex.com/vid/india-toxic-landfills-adumping-wast
e-335526#secc7
• This secondary source provides good overview of
Basal convention- countries that have not
ratified convention can still export waste, and
even countries that have ratified it (India)often
ignore procedures outlined for proper disposal
of the waste.
• UN started ‘Environment& E-waste India’ in 2005
to allow India to run a more environmentally
sound e-waste recycling program.
• No specific legislation for handling e-waste in
India
• Shows international concern about this issue as
it’s written by an America.
• Nolan, A 2006, UNEP Starts Project on
Environment and E-waste in India,
accessed 24/3/10,
http://www.iema.net/news/envnews?aid
=11236
• This secondary source is good for
showing the international interest in
India’s e-waste problem. Article by IEMA-
United Kingdom body of European unions
Eco Management and Audit Scheme
• Outlines the UN’s future plans for
management of e-waste ‘dumping’
• Quotes Indian Secretary of Ministry of
Environment and Forest, stating that e-
waste management is an area in which
India had not sufficient regulations.
 Further Research
• To further research on • Research would be
impacts of imported E- useful for inclusion in
waste on India; Obtain Group Assignment on;
more government movement of e-waste
legislations an Rules globally, environmental
regarding import and effects of e-waste to
management of e-waste; geographically specific
More stats showing area, electronic
environment and health recycling processess
damage from e-recycling
 Questions for the
Digital Generation

• The sources infer that E-waste if affecting Indian environment and

people. Do you agree? What are you thoughts on the affects of E-
waste on India?

• What do you think should be done, if anything?

• Do you think it is our responsibility to help with the management of

E-waste in India? If not, whose responsibility is it?