E-waste generation and management practices in Chandigarh, India and economic evaluation for sustainable recycling

Abstract

The boom in the electronic industry and the faster pace of changing technology has resulted in the generation of huge quantities of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE or E-waste). The present study investigates the generation of E-waste and various management practices being followed in Chandigarh, India using a standardized questionnaire and physical survey of 300 households of different income groups. Outcomes from these households were extrapolated to represent the whole population of Chandigarh. An inventory of E-waste was prepared by recording the type and number of electronic appliances in each household. The outcomes of the questionnaire revealed that only 30% of the respondents know about E-waste and its environmental hazards. Further, only 10% of respondents had an idea about the location of E-waste collection bins around the city, and only 2% of the respondents were using them. It was also observed that on an average each household in Chandigarh generates 17 kg of E-waste annually resulting in the annual generation of 4100 t of E-waste from all the households of Chandigarh. It was indicated that about 63 t of valuable heavy metals such as Fe, Al, Cu, Cd, Ag, Au, Pd, and Pb could be extracted annually having the potential of urban mining. Precious metals composition of E-waste offers urban mining as an efficient E-waste management strategy in Chandigarh. E-waste generated in Chandigarh can reimburse benefits of over $65,000 annum−1. It was also observed that most of the E-waste generated in Chandigarh is handled by informal sectors. Poor working conditions in informal units can expose workers and the surrounding population to hazardous chemicals leading to adverse health effects. The study also provides suggestions to enhance the collection of E-waste for sustainable recycling.