The latest "Global E-waste Monitor" ranks India as one of the largest contributors to global e-waste, generating 2 million tons of metric tons in 2016. The increasing number of e-wastes poses serious health and environmental risks, and represents the hidden costs of India’s increasingly digital life. information society.
Only 33% of India’s population owns a smartphone. India already has the world’s second largest smartphone user, almost four times that of the United States. As the cost of consumer electronic products declines, the income of the middle class increases and the frequency of discarding equipment increases, the amount of electronic waste generated will increase exponentially in the next ten years.
As governance methods become more and more digital and the industry repositions to utilize Industry 4.0 solutions, the generation of e-waste will become a by-product of institutional choice, not just consumer consumption and behavior. India is already a leader in eletronic waste management and recycling. However, in the unorganized sector, more than 90% are managed by small businesses and individual entrepreneurs, usually from low-income marginalized communities, usually women. E-waste contains various toxic substances, such as mercury and lead, and prolonged exposure can cause serious health problems. Due to incorrect standards, nearly 80% of e waste companies in India suffer from respiratory diseases, and nearly half a million children are engaged in e-waste collection center without proper protection and security. Most of the dirty and dangerous work that supports India’s move to a digital society is done by those who have the least opportunity for technological gains. On the other hand, probably due to industry pressure, government regulations on e-waste management are becoming more relaxed. In order to simplify e-waste management, the government notified e-waste regulations based on the concept of extended producer responsibility (EPR) in 2011. It is expected that this amount will triple in the next ten years. In many ways, the sustainability challenge is an "evil problem"-possible solutions will bring a new set of additional challenges, and choosing between alternatives is mainly about competitive value. The value-based choice required by the "evil problem" at the moment is a choice that includes the concept of circular economy. This choice deviates from the linear economic growth model based on "adopt, manufacture, and dispose", and the linear economic growth model is based on a model based on "growth , Manufacturing, disposal" growth model. Establish a closed loop of production, consumption and reuse. The circular economy model is based on the idea of designing waste and pollution; keeping products and materials in use; and regenerating natural systems. In many ways, India is already a leader in the circular economy.
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