E-Waste

Prepared for
Dr. Payel Pal

LNMIIT, Jaipur

Prepared by
Niharika Agarwal

Himanshu Goyal

Mohit Khandelwal

Priyanshu Gautam

Shivang Sharma

Yagyik Prajapat

Divija Gupta

Hitesh Goyal

26th November 201

 ABSTRACT

This project is about the increasing amount of E-Waste, recycling of E-Waste,

management of E-Waste. Electronic waste is any broken or unwanted electrical
appliance. E-Waste is the inevitable by-product of a technological revolution.
Driven primarily by faster, smaller and cheaper microchip technology, society is
experiencing an evolution in the capability of electronic appliances and personal
electronics.
Electronic products often contain hazardous and toxic materials that pose
environmental risks if they are land filled or incinerated.
Televisions, video and computer monitors use cathode ray tubes (CRTs), which
have significant amounts of lead. Rapid technology change, low initial cost, high
obsolescence rate has resulted in a fast-growing problem around the globe. Legal
framework, proper collection system missing. Imports regularly coming to the
recycling markets. We can reduce environmental impact of your E-waste by
making changes in your buying habits, looking for ways to reuse including
donating or recycling. Preventing waste to begin with is the preferred waste
management option.
consider, for example, upgrading or repairing instead of buying new equipment
to extend the life of your current equipment, consider donating your still working,
unwanted electronic equipment. This reuse extends the life of the products and
allows non-profits, churches, schools and community organization to have
equipment they otherwise may not be able to afford.
Dell computers, for example, became the first manufacturer to set up a program
to take back any of its products anywhere in the world at no charge to the
consumer. And, when buying, consider products with longer warranties as an
indication of long-term quality
Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction

2.0 What is E-Waste

3.0 Why is it a Problem

4.0 Environmental impact of E-Waste

5.0 How is it Affecting our Health?

6.0 Recycling of E-Waste

6.1 Advantages of E-Waste Recycling
6.2 Recycling of Electronics

7.0 E-waste problems in our country

8.0 E-waste management solutions

9.0 Conclusion

10.0 Bibliography
 1.0 Introduction

Electronic waste or e-waste is any broken or unwanted electrical or electronic

appliance. E-waste includes computers, entertainment electronics, mobile phones
and other items that have been discarded by their original users. E-waste is the
inevitable by-product of a technological revolution. Driven primarily by faster,
smaller and cheaper microchip technology society is experiencing an evolution
in the capability of electronic appliances and personal electronics. For all its
benefits, innovation brings with it the by-product of rapid obsolescence.
According to the EPA, nationally an estimated 5 to 7 million tons of computers,
televisions, stereos, cell phones, electronic appliances and toys, and other
electronic gadgets become obsolete every year. According to various reports,
electronics comprise approximately1 - 4 percent of the municipal solid waste
stream. The electronic waste problem will continue to grow at an accelerated rate.
Electronic or e-waste refers to electronic products being discarded by consumers.
It can also be defined as E-waste is the most rapidly growing waste problem in
the world. It is a crisis of not quantity alone but also a crisis born from toxics
ingredients, posing a threat to the occupational health as well as the environment.
Rapid technology change, low initial cost, high obsolescence rate has resulted in
a fast-growing problem around the globe. Legal framework, proper collection
system missing. Imports regularly coming to the recycling markets. Electronic
products often contain hazardous and toxic materials that pose environmental
risks if they are land filled or incinerated. Televisions, video and computer
monitors use cathode ray tubes (CRTs), which have significant amounts of lead.
Printed circuit boards contain primarily plastic and copper, and most have small
amounts of chromium, lead solder, nickel, and zinc. In addition, many electronic
products have batteries that often contain nickel, cadmium, and other heavy
metals. Relays and switches in electronics, especially older ones, may contain
mercury. Also, capacitors in some types of older and larger equipment that is now
entering the waste stream may contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). You
can reduce the environmental impact of your E-Waste by making changes in your
buying habits, looking for ways to reuse including donating or recycling.
Preventing waste to begin with is the preferred waste management option.
Consider, for example, upgrading or repairing instead of buying new equipment
to extend the life of your current equipment and perhaps save money. If you must
buy new equipment, consider donating your still working, unwanted electronic
equipment. This reuse extends the life of the products and allows non-profits,
churches, schools and community organizations to have equipment they
otherwise may not be able to afford. In South Carolina, for example, Habitat for
Humanity Resale Stores, Goodwill and other similar organizations may accept
working computers. When buying new equipment, check with the retailer or
manufacturer to see if they have a "take-back program" that allows consumers to
return old equipment when buying new equipment. Dell Computers, for example,
became the first manufacturer to set up a program to take back any of its products
anywhere in the world at no charge to the consumer. And, when buying, consider
products with longer warranties as an indication of long-term quality.
 2.0 What is E-Waste?

Electronic waste also called e-waste, is created when an electronic product is discarded after
the end of its useful life. They are the various forms of electric and electronic equipment that
have ceased to be of value to their users or no longer satisfy their original purpose. Electronic
waste products have exhausted their utility value through either redundancy, replacement, or
breakage and include both “white goods” such as refrigerators, washing machines, and
microwaves and “brown goods” such as televisions, radios, computers, and cell phones.

The information and technology revolution have exponentially increased the use of new
electronic equipment, it has also produced growing volumes of obsolete products. E-waste is
one of the fastest-growing waste streams. Although e-waste contains complex combinations of
highly toxic substances that pose a danger to health and the environment, many of the products
also contain recoverable precious materials, making it a different kind of waste compared with
traditional municipal waste.

E-waste is the world’s fastest growing waste streams. Over 20 to 50 million tons of e-waste are
disposed worldwide every year and only 12.5% of e-waste is currently recycled. In the coming
years, the amount of global e-waste is expected to increase to 52.2 million tons in 2021.
 3.0 Why is it a Problem

1.Environmental effects of e-waste: The toxic materials from electronic devices

are released into bodies of water, groundwater, soil and air, affecting both land
and sea animals. The thrown-out e-waste lands up in water bodies, landfills, the
burnout one's ends up in polluting atmosphere. The Soil-Farm-Body is also a
major issue as the toxic e-waste passes to the food cycle.

2.Tons e-waste is shipped overseas: Much of this left in junkyard to polluted the
environment or burned for scrap by kids. Informal recycling markets in China,
India, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Philippines handle anywhere from 50 percent to 80
percent of the world’s e-waste. In Guiyu, China, one of the largest electronic
waste landfill sites in the world. When electronic devices are dumped in these
developing countries the impact is detrimental to the environment of the country
and the health of the people.

3.Health implications of electronic waste: Computers and most electronics

contain toxic materials such as lead, nickel, barium and chromium, specifically
with lead, if released is not the environment can cause damage to human blood,
kidneys, as well as central and peripheral nervous systems. Residents of Guiyu,
China exhibit substantial digestive, neurological, respiratory and bone problems.
The impact of electronic waste is detrimental to the health of the people in these
developing countries.

4. Electronic waste keeps growing and growing: Today people are buying more
and more electronic devices and the electronic devices are being retired faster.
For example, cell phones usually have a useful life of 18 to 24 months. In 2012,
the average U.S. household spent $1,312 on consumer electronic products a year,
according to a study by the Consumer Electronic Associations (CEA). More than
20 million tons of e-waste are produced every year.

4.0 Environmental impact of E-Waste

Liquid and atmospheric releases end up in bodies of water, groundwater, soil, and
air and therefore in land and sea animals – both domesticated and wild, in crops
eaten by both animals and human, and in drinking water.

One study of environmental effects in Guiyu, China found the following

• Airborne dioxins one type found at 100 times levels previously measured.

• Levels of carcinogens in duck ponds and rice paddies exceeded

international standards for agricultural areas and cadmium, copper, nickel,
and lead levels in rice paddies were above international standards.

• Heavy metals found in road dust lead over 300 times that of a control
village's road dust and copper over 100 times.

A separate study at the Agbogbloshie e-waste dump, Ghana found a

presence of lead levels as high as 18,125 ppm in the soil. US EPA standard
for lead in soil in play areas is 400 ppm and 1200 ppm for non-play areas.
Scrap workers at the Agbogbloshie e-waste dump regularly burn electronic
components and auto harness wires for copper recovery, releasing toxic
chemicals like lead, dioxins and furans into the environment.
 5.0 How is it Affecting our Health

Due to the crude recycling process, many pollutants, such as persistent

organic pollutants and heavy metals, are released from e-waste, which can
easily accumulate in the human body through the inhalation of
contaminated air.

Children are especially vulnerable to the health risks that may result from
e-waste exposure and, therefore, need more specific protection.

Furthermore, their bodies’ functional systems such as the central nervous,

immune, reproductive and digestive system are still developing and
exposure to toxic substances, by hampering further development, may
cause irreversible damage.

Many children are exposed to e-waste-derived chemicals in their daily life

due to unsafe recycling activities that are often conducted at their home-
either by family members or by the children themselves.

6.0 Recycling of E-Waste

E-waste recycling is the disassembly and separation of components and raw

materials of waste electronics. Although the procedures of re-use, donation and
repair are not strictly recycling.
6.1 Advantages of E-Waste Recycling

• Recycling of E-Waste is very helpful in recovering of valuable metals like

gold, platinum, tantalum, silver, etc and base metals like copper, iron,
aluminium, etc.
• It helps us in reducing pollution, conserving landfills, creating jobs, saving
energy, etc.
• E-Waste helps us cut down on production waste.

6.2 Recycling of Electronics

Electronics recycling is a challenging task as these devices are made up of varying

proportions of glass, metals, and plastics. The process of recycling can vary from
product to product but here is a general overview.

• Initially when the E-Waste comes it is first dismantled and then categorised
into parts that can be reused or still have to be recycled

• Now the items which cannot be dismantled are shredded into small pieces
so that they can be separated easily.

• The finer E-Waste partials are spread over a conveyor belt and then a
powerful overhead magnet separates magnetic materials like steel, iron,
etc.

• Further processing separates metal from the debris to leave non-metallic

components which is mostly plastic.

• Using Water Separation Technology glass is separated from plastic.

Once separated, all the materials retrieved can then be resold as raw
materials for re-use. The products sold include plastic, glass, copper, iron,
steel, shredded circuit boards, and valuable metal mix.
 7.0 E-waste problems in our country

• Electronic waste or e-waste is one of the rapidly growing environmental

problems of the world. In India, the electronic waste management assumes
greater significance not only due to generation of our own waste but also
dumping of e-waste particularly computer waste from developed countries.
With extensively using of electronic equipment's and people dumping old
electronic goods for new ones, the amount of E-Waste generated has been
steadily increased.

• At present Bangalore alone generates about 8000 tons of computer waste

annually and in the absence of proper disposal, they find their way to scrap
dealers. Electronics gadgets are meant to make our lives happier and
simpler, but they contain toxic substances, their disposal and recycling
becomes a health nightmare.

• This problem of E-Waste is accelerating rapidly because the global market

for computer is far from saturation and the average life span of a PC is
decreasing rapidly. The Production of Electrical and Electronic Equipment
(EEE), is one of the fastest growing activities.

• This new kind of waste is posing a serious challenge in disposal and

recycling to both developed and developing countries. Most people in our
country are unaware of negative impact of increasing use of computers and
televisions.
 8.0 E-waste management solutions

1.Buy Less.

Buying things, we simply do not need is probably the biggest cause of e-waste.
We need to stop ourselves if we need a gadget or electronic item before we buy
it.

We need to activate that voices in our heads that prevents us from buying
electronic items we simply don’t need.

2.Organize What You Have.

If you don’t organize your gadgets, wires, connectors and DVDs, you will never
really know what you have. The last thing you want is to buy something you think
you need it, only to find a duplicate buried in your cabinet.

3. Give Away or Donate Your E-Waste.

If you don’t need a thing, donate it so someone else can use it. Donations are great
for tax deductions; often the amount will be close to the value of the item if you
tried to sell it.

4. Take them back to the store or sell.

A few stores have a buy-back program. Before you purchase a new gadget at a
store, ask the store if they’ll buy back your old camera, laptop, or any other
electronic. Best Buy has a trade-in option, where you can get rid of your old
equipment in exchange for Best Buy gift cards.
Craigslist and eBay are the best places to sell electronic items. Sell your electronic
items as soon as you don’t need them; they lose value rapidly when newer models
come on the market. Craigslist is a good option to sell heavy or lower value items,
since shipping isn’t involved.

5. Educate yourself, and be a little afraid.

Most electronic gadgets have toxic materials in them, so it is extremely important

to dispose of them the right way. Educate yourself, your kids, and your friends.
These toxins should push us to be more mindful of e-waste.

9.0 Conclusion

• E –Waste is and will continue to be a serious problem.

• Recycling of e-waste is essential for the future.
• Government agencies recognize this problem, and create incentives to
increase recycling.
• Although recycling is a good solution, much care should be taken to
enforce strict policies to protect workers as well as the environment.
 10.0 Bibliography

• https://www.thebalancesmb.com/introduction-to-electronics-e-waste-
recycling-4049386
• https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/e-waste-recycling-process.php
• iFixit.org
• https://theartofsimple.net/10-ways-to-recycle-your-technology-and-
manage-e-waste/
• Who.int
• https://www.coursehero.com/file/p41vm72/CONCLUSION-Recycling-
electronic-waste-has-many-costs-and-benefits-The-benefits/
• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_waste