Indo-German-Swiss e-Waste Initiative:

achievements and activities in

Bangalore

David Rochat, project coordinator

EMPA - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research
t&s / sustec - sustainable technology cooperation
www.empa.ch/sustec

Saint Gallen/ Switzerland

Introduction
■ seco: Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs
■ akin to ministry of commerce & economy >> federal authority for all
core issues relating to economic policy.
■ directorate for "Economic Development Cooperation" of seco
provides assistance to projects promoting sustainable economic
development and the integration of developing and transition
companies into the global economy.

■ EMPA: Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing &

Research
■ independent, neutral institution for multidisciplinary research into
sustainable materials and systems engineering.
■ competence center for e-waste hosted by the technology and
society laboratory
■ technical monitoring & control centre for electrical and electronic
waste
IN-DE-CH e-Waste Initiative: setup & objectives

■ The Swiss contribution is part of the IN-CH-DE E-waste Initiative

■ reduce the risks to the population and the pollution of the

environment resulting from unsafe e-waste handling.
■ focus on knowledge transfer to and skills upgrade of all involved
stakeholders through trainings and seminars.
■ target mainly the existing informal recyclers allowing for their
maximum but safe participation in future e-waste management by
facilitating their evolution and integration in formal structures.
Work Areas to Develop Strategies in e-Waste
Management (“The way forward”, 2004)
Policy & Legislation
objectives:
Awareness & Data &
Campaigning Baseline ■ Develop Work Areas
Simultaneously!

Start
■ Use Interdependencies
and Synergies
2004
■ Provide / Seek Qualified
2005 guidance
2006

Skills & Technologies

Industry
participation &
WEEE
management
Project implementation

■ Bangalore = home of the Indian IT industry

■ Project Implementation Unit (PIU) hosted in HAWA office

Bangalore
■ 1 project coordinator
■ 1 local coordinator
■ Part-time HAWA staff
■ Many consultants

■ e-Waste Agency (EWA) Bangalore: association gathering

all e-waste problem stakeholders
Data & Baseline Studies

■ Fall ’03: Rapid assessment Delhi

■ January ’04: Coordination workshop for rapid
assessments (Bangalore).
■ Winter ’04: National desk study
■ Fall ’05: Rapid assessment Bangalore.
■ Double approach: bottom-up, field investigation of informal
recyclers, top-bottom, market study.
■ Difficult to obtain holistic picture, this approach allows good
“zoom-ins” in investigated areas.
■ Needs to be finalised.
 Improved methodology needs more “science and
industry’s back-up”!
Technology & Skills: Training of Informal Sectors
■ Winter’05 – Spring ’06: ToT & ToE for informal sectors in
Bangalore.
■ Spring ’06 – currently: Implementation of improvement
measures: “door opening”, PPE, good house keeping,
emission control, process improvement, state-of-the-art
facility.
■ Fall ’06: ToT & ToE for informal sectors in Delhi.

Lessons learnt in BLR:

■ Rapid assessment is a good “ice breaker” for trainings!
■ What role for the informal sector in future Clean e-Waste
Channels?  need to share a vision!
■ What incentives for informal sector’s commitment? 
need to keep the momentum high, though benefits
sometimes slow to come..
 The Indian Clean e-Waste Channel
Initial Situation (Bangalore)
Product Waste

Recover
Consume Collect Function Energy Dispose
Material

Importers Repair &

Manufactu Refurbish Landfill
rers Scrap
Dealers
Midlem Informal
Corporate en
Consumer 1 (Auctio Infor Dumping &
ns) mal Burning
secto 3
Retailer Private Rag r
Consumer Pickers
2
Donations
(Import)
Undesirable 1 equipment from corporate consumer:
End-of-life
Operations: - often declared as „donation“ for cheap disposal
Material2 Recovery: - manual dismantling of hazardous components
- wires & cable burning
- precious metal recovery (e.g. gold leaching)
3
Informal Dumping: - emissions from dumped residues
- emissions from informal burning sites
 The Indian Clean e-Waste Channel
Aimed long term situation
Product Waste

Recover
Consume Collect Function Energy Dispose
Material

Importers Repair &

Manufactu Refurbish Refinery Landfill
rers Authorized
Dealers Larger
Midlem Recyclers
Corporate en Informal
Consumer (Auctio Dumping &
Enter- Burning
ns) prene
Retailer Private Rag urs
Consumer Pickers
Donations
(Import)

Policy & Legislation

Intervention Business & Finance Technology & Skills
& Control: Control through Control through Formalizing of the informal
authorization with licenses authorization with sector by substantial
contracts upgrade of skills &
technology
Technologies & Skills: Clean e-Waste Channels

■ First authorised recycler’s: e-Parisaraa, Ash Recyclers,

Trishyiraya.
■ Industrial facilities for material recovery identified: JCL
(copper), Samcor (CRT glass),…
■ Informal Sector trained: need to be integrated in the
Clean e-Waste Channels
■ Electronics City tests it’s Clean e-Waste Channel: simple,
but some issues need to be clarified (custom bond, MNC
requirements, infrastructure, …)

 A working model is currently being documented in EC,

to be replicated at larger scale throughout the country
Other Work Areas / Committees

■ Policy and Legislation: report on National Workshop,

Bangalore, May ’06
■ Guidelines ordered by CPCB
■ Industry drafting proposal
■ Others?
■ Industry Participation: CEHA and Producer Responsibility
Organisation
■ Explicit will of the producers to take ownership of the problem
■ Initiatives starting with bulk consumers: electronics city, Wipro,
Satyam…
■ Public Awareness & Campaining
Some New Topics (discuss & extend)

■ Study the viability of export of fractions from India

■ CEHA support in the form of
■ Establishment of a PRO – provide expert consulting services
■ Member dipstick – study on the current disposal / take back
practices / and challenges of manufacturers (elcia, tema,
cetma, mait members)
■ Member awareness program/ conference / workshop – on e-
waste as an issue, epr as a concept
■ Assessment of the large banking & financial sector IT
product usage (starting in Mumbai in cooperation with
the Swiss Business Hub?)
■ others ??
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

For further information:

www.ewaste.ch
www.e-waste.in
david.rochat@empa.ch