The resurgence of electronic devices and modalities has elevated human civilization to incredible heights, connecting people across boundaries, easing the burdens of traversing those boundaries, accelerating the means of production and raising the standards of living thus, while also opening up new avenues of creative expression. Yet for all the awe and admiration the blossoming ecosystem of digitisation receives, one often forgets to think about the grounds upon which the establishment thrives, and must return to if it is to survivve. This ground now is shaking, and if we remain blinded as ever, it may give way from under us with no hope of recovery.
Electronic waste, or more precisely, its management, minimization and disposal, has snuck up on us, while we were busy obsessing over supposed improvements in technology, speeds and costs. Because we paid no attention to the dark side of technological progress, e-waste has become a grave public health and environmental issue[1]. The term ‘e-waste’ encompasses electronic components nearing the end of their lives, many of which can be refurbished and/or recycled, like computers, television sets, copiers, stereos etc. This list also consists of gadgets like smartphones, laptops, consoles, cameras and many other devices.
Our country generates a whopping 2 million tons of electronic waste annually, an undisclosed amount being imported from other countries as well[2][3]. ASSOCHAM places the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of electronic waste at 30%. It had also estimated that 5.2 million tonnes of e-waste would be generated by 2020 owing to changing consumer behaviors and rapid economic growth[3][4]. The government and businesses (public and private) generate nearly 75% of electronic waste in the country, with individual households contributing only 16%. To get an estimate of how much more can be added to the heap further, India had 1.012 billion active mobile connections as of January 2018, with the number growing exponentially since then[5]. The rapid wave of urbanization adds further to the mess, with 65% of our cities generating more than 60% of the total waste. Mumbai stands as the top e-waste producer, followed by Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata[1].</p> <p>
While the pile up of e-waste can be attributed to many causes, two of the most prominent ones are i) a lack of infrastructure for proper disposal and recycling and ii) ignorance on the part of designers and producers with respect to life cycle design. Sufficient efforts directed along these areas would go a long way to address the issues we’re facing today, along with lending invaluable support in enhancing product design and human machine interfacing (HMI) (how people understand, and thus use, these products and services).The current design process involves defining the requirements/problems, followed by a description of the solution, with iterative changes carried out depending upon the responses observed during testing. This broad-strokes explanation highlights the common mode of thinking that currently ties together all engineering/product designdisciplines. Yet upon closer examination, it appears that a vital component is left out, mainly that which pertains to how the proposed product would ‘age’. In other words, how would that product achieve the end of its working life? What cues and events can you engineer that would minimize the severity of failure while maximizing other favorable aspects like reusability?It is imperative that such a ‘life cycle’ design process be carried out for electronic components as well, optimizing the metrics pertaining to the potential of recycling, re-usability, or degradability. This optimization process can be performed at all levels, from material selection to unpacking the relationships between various components. Thus, the modified algorithm capturing the essence of the design process now involves a new step: envisioning a life-cycle that minimizes environmental collateral damage by incorporating either degradability or re-usability. The product is now thus optimized along the dimensions of its operational capabilities as well as its life cycle as it is meant to function in the real world
The second issue that plagues the judicious disposal and recycling of e-waste is the lack of legal and regulatory frameworks that adequately enforce and assert the importance of the matter. While E-Waste Management Rules act as good regulatory frameworks, the inertia inherent in public adoption continues to remain a problem. E-waste collection feeds the stomachs of a great many people in our cities, yet they are oblivious to the dangers of the substances they work with, and the dangers those substances pose to others as well. This is why there must be a collective effort among manufacturers’ initiatives and the informal sector, possibly backed by financial support to ensure that the people operating in the informal sectors are taught about the substances they deal with and practices to ensure careful disposal and/or recycling of electronic waste
In conclusion, the two approaches mentioned above can be combined to create designs that can help the collectors themselves assess the nature of the components they collect and dispose of them safely.
References:
[1]Joon,Veenu;Shahrawat,Renu;Kapahi,Meena “The Emerging and Public Health Problem of Electronic Waste in India
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6236536
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6236536
[2]”India fifth largest producer of e-waste: study-The Hindu”
[3]Park,Miles.”Electronic waste is recycled in appalling condiions in India”,The Conversation
http://theconversation.com/electronic-waste-is-recycled-in-appalling-conditions-in-india-110363
http://theconversation.com/electronic-waste-is-recycled-in-appalling-conditions-in-india-110363
[4]”E-Waste Disposal Methods and How To Do It?[Complete Guide]https://www.sellyt.com/blogs/e-waste-disposal”>https://www.sellyt.com/blogs/e-waste-disposal
[5]”India’s e-waste to touch 5.2 MMT by 2020: ASSOCHAM-EY study- Times Of India”