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GreycloudsloomoverformalewasterecyclersTheHindu

CITIESDELHI

May9,2016

Greycloudsloomoverformalewasterecyclers

JacobKoshy

Payoff:Dustofmetalsextractedfromewastelabourersatillegalprocessingfactoriesworkinextremelyhazardousconditionsandare
regularlyexposedtotoxicfumes.Photos:ShankerChakravartySource:APCOCEAMAstudy
Illegalfactoriesprocess95%ofallewasteandarefloutingsafetynormstheyarealsotakingbusinessawayfromlicensedrecyclers
MohammedSabirspenthischildhoodlearningtodismantlebrokencircuitboards.Itwasareliablesourceofincomeforalongtime,butthe
healthhazardsofhandlingtoxicwasteconvincedMr.Sabirtojointheformalelectronicwasterecyclingsector.Itsbeenatoughroadsince
then.
SofarIvebeenmakingaloss,hetoldTheHindu.TwoyearsagohisfirmGreenEWasteRecyclersLtdhad12employees,nowhecan
barelyaffordthree.
IthoughtIwouldgetlarge,steadyordersfrombigcompaniesbutthathasnothappened.IamnotsurehowlongIcancontinue,hesaid.
Mr.Sabirisamongtheveryfewrecyclersinthecitywhoveregisteredwiththegovernmentandislicensedtodismantle,crushandextract
preciousmetalssuchasgold,platinumandtitaniumfromewaste,andthendisposetheremnantssafely.
Formalvs.informalsector
Mr.Sabirsbusinessissufferingatthehandsoftheinformalsectorscoresofunauthorisedandillegalewasteprocessingfactories,which
canaffordtoskimponexpensessuchasrentandhighwages,cutcornersonworkerssafety,anddisregardtheproperwaytodisposeofe
waste.
ShankarSharma,whohandlescustomerserviceandmarketingforGurgaonbasedewasterecyclerGreenVortex,saysthatrunningaformal
ewasterecyclingcentreischallengingbecauseofthearbitraryrules.
Therewasalevelplayingfieldin2012whentheCentralPollutionControlBoardhadthefinalsay,butnowwithrecyclingbeinghandledby
individualStatesitsthegreymarket,whichseemstohavebenefited,Mr.SharmatoldTheHindu.
Thegreymarket,accordingtoMr.Sharma,referstoseveralrecyclerswhoclaimtobebreakinganddisposingewastesustainably,butare
employingthehazardousmethodsobservedintheinformalsector.
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5/26/2016

GreycloudsloomoverformalewasterecyclersTheHindu

Thoughformalrecyclershavebettertechnologyandcanextractnearly95%ofpreciousmetalsandrareearthelementsfromresidualgoods,
theycantmatchtheinformalsectorintermsoftheirreach.
Nearly75%ofewasteisgeneratedbyhouseholdsandtherestbycorporateandgovernmentinstitutions.
Asubstantialpartofewasteisstockedinresidentialcoloniesandwevejustgotthelicensetobegincollectingthem,saidSnehaJain,
MarketingManagerofPomPomRecyclingPvt.Ltd,acitybasedrecyclingoutfit.
Stricterrules
TheUnionMinistryofEnvironmenthasannouncedstricterrulesonthemanagementofewastethatencumbersproducersofelectronic
goodstocollectapercentageoftheirannualsalesasewaste.
Thenewrules,whichareexpectedtocomeintoeffectlaterthisyear,willrequirecompaniestoensurethatinthenexttwoyearstheyrecover
atleast30%oftheirelectronicproduce.By2022theywillbeexpectedtorecover70%oftheireproduce.
Unlesstheinformalsectorisformalisedormadetobepartofadefinedewastesupplychain,itwilldefeatthepurposethatthegovernment
intendstoachieve,saidRadhikaKalia,aspokespersonforCEAMA,anindustrybodyofelectronicsmanufacturers.
Tonnesofewaste
Indiasappetiteforconsumergoodsmeansthatitislookingatamountainofewaste.
Televisions,refrigerators,airconditionersandwashingmachinesmakeupthemajorityofewastebyweight,whilecomputersandmobile
phonesaccountforabout20percentandtwopercentrespectively.
AccordingtotheUnitedNationsEnvironmentalProgramme,nearly50milliontonsofewastewillbegeneratedgloballyeveryyearby2017.
Indiawillbeproducingabout2.7milliontonsperannum.

Impactonhealth
Apartfromvaluablematerialssuchasnonferrous,preciousandsemipreciousmetals,electronicgoodsarealsorepositoriesofhazardous
andtoxicsubstancessuchaslead,mercury,cadmium,chromium,halogenatedsubstances,polychlorinatedbiphenylsandpolybrominated
diphenylethers.
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Refrigerators,ACsandwashingmachinescontainsteel,plasticsandcopperwiring.However,theyalsocontainpotentiallyharmful
substancessuchaschlorofluorocarbonandhydrochloroflourocarbon(CFCs/HCFC)gases,whichhavehighozonedepletionpotential.
Thehealtheffectsofhandlingewastecarelesslyarewellknown.Metalssuchaslead,mercuryandcadmiumcancausedamagetothecentral
andperipheralnervoussystems,effectbraindevelopmentofchildrenandcausedamagetothecirculatorysystem,kidneysandthe
reproductivesystem.
Advancedrecyclingfund
RecyclerssuchasMr.SharmaarehopingthataschemecalledAdvancedRecyclingFundcansolvetheproblemofimprovingewaste
collection.
Underthisinitiative,consumerspayasurchargeforbuyingelectronicgoodsandarereimbursedwhentheyreturntheproducttoalicenced
seller.ThisisthepracticeintheUSandEuropeandhasproventoworkwell.Soitshouldworkwellheretoo,headded.
Independentorganisationssaythatproducersmustdomoretoaddresstheproblemofewaste.Ratherthanhopingthatinformalrecyclers
becomeformal,itwouldbemorefeasibleforcompaniestodesignprogrammesthatcanestablishtieupsandensurethatewasteonlymakes
itswaytoformalrecyclers.
Thenewrulesaregoodbecausetheysetmeasurabletargetsforcompanies,saidPritiMahesh,ChiefProgrammeCoordinatorofToxicsLink,
anenvironmentalagencyworkingonewasteissues,itsambitiousbutnotimpossibleandtheywillhavetocomeupwithbetterwaystodeal
withtheinformalsector.

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