The crowded, cluttered bylanes of Goripalya near Bangalore's buzzing City Market might seem entirely disconnected from the sanitised glass and concrete of IT City, but they are inextricably linked. Goripalya is home to communities of e-waste recyclers, whose livelihood depends on salvaging the precious metals contained in computers, discarded by Bangalore's booming IT sector. Since there is no guaranteed and steady stream of used computers through formal channels, e-recycling is a small industry that isn't regulated; families of recyclers working obliviously — under hazardous conditions — in their homes or in garages.
Toxic substances
Waste components are "stripped" and broken down for their platinum, gold and silver contents in small workshops, with recyclers often soaking their hands in acid with no protection. They are also constantly exposed to toxic substances such as cyanide and sulphuric acid, released during the process. These e-recyclers have been working with an informal network of scrap dealers for about 10 years now, and although there are no reports of permanent damage to them yet, there are instances of discoloured skin, says P. Bineesha. She's Chief Environmental Officer to the Indo-German-Swiss venture, HAWA (for hazardous waste management), which began work in 2001 to provide technical assistance for treatment, storage and disposal facilities for waste. HAWA also intends to work with industries to minimise waste and find better technologies for its disposal.
Ways and means
When computer companies receive Customs exemptions for software, they are bound to dispose of the products in certain pre-determined ways: they either store the e-waste, destroy it in front of Customs officers or donate it, explains Bineesha. Most computer companies give it to agencies to dispose of, but while promising to fulfil these conditions, the agencies give it to scrap dealers who in turn pass it on to e-recyclers working in the unorganised industry. Over 8,000 tons of e-waste generated in Bangalore each year comes to these small-scale recyclers; mostly computers which contain precious metals that can be salvaged.
"We've worked backwards to begin with the computer industry, since this is hazardous," explains Bineesha, "There's a lot of occupational hazard and no machinery in use." HAWA is supported by NGOs such as Saahas as well as IT majors including Wipro and Infosys for whom waste disposal is proving a huge bugbear.
Recent media reports that Wipro was running into trouble over its e-waste disposal indicate that corporates have a hard time finding ways to junk their garbage that will be in sync with their corporate social responsibility programmes and general image. HAWA officials point out that Bangalore is a world-class IT city, and "the best IT companies want the best disposal; there's no reason why the waste generated by a professional industry shouldn't be disposed of in a similarly professional manner."
"We are trying to get small scale recyclers to use proper vessels and have protection; to look at how solid waste can be disposed of with precautions being taken," explains Bineesha. Plans are on to have a formal recycling unit in place — while this will not replace recyclers who earn their livelihoods from this industry, the hope is that the process of recycling can be bifurcated. Small time recyclers can perform the safe procedures such as dismantling and stripping computer parts, while the mechanisation can be used for the more risky processes.
Many promises
IT companies, both software and hardware have signed a declaration of intent, promising to do their best to see that e-waste is recycled in a socially responsible way, with IT companies also contributing to the upliftment of the recyclers. A nodal agency has been formed to set up a pilot project for Bangalore; unusually the Central Pollution Control Board will be looking at a project initiated in Bangalore, not traditional leader Delhi, as the trendsetter in this area.
One of the few players involved in e-waste disposal in Bangalore is Sreenath Shetty who set up the Indian Computer Crematorium and after eight years spent researching methods and technologies to facilitate recycling, sees e-waste recycling as a commercially viable, "golden opportunity". Shetty says e-waste recycling would generate a lot of revenue and create more jobs if they advocate a methodology which uses tried-out technology from Germany. Just buy it, implement in a short while and after investing about two crores in the first stage, the revenue generated per ton is expected to be between Rs. 60,000 to Rs. 70,000, he says.
Government clearance
Also in this emerging sector of e-recycling is Parthasarathy of E-Parisara who has invested almost Rs. 80 lakh in equipment for an e-waste venture that is awaiting government clearance. His plant is ready in Dobbspet on the city's outskirts, but: "My team is lying idle, I have a lot of machinery but I haven't yet received the permission," he observes ruefully, adding that, "Time cannot be recycled."
The synchronised working of these various sectors and interests - corporate, NGO, recyclers and entrepreneurs — will hopefully protect the small-time recyclers from the work hazards they have been unknowingly exposing themselves to over the last few years, as well as generate a successful recycling model which can be a prototype for other cities.
To dispose your ewaste in Bangalore, you contact E-Parisara, contact details.
e-WasteP.
ParthasarthyDirector
E-Parisaraa Pvt.
Ltd.Plot No.30-P3,
Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board,
Dobaspet Industrial Area,
Bangalore Rural Dist-562111
INDIA.
Ph: 080-28360902/30906684
Fax:ᄧ-80-23579778
Website:www.ewasteindia.com (at this time the site was still under construction)
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