This refers to ‘German ‘pot of gold’ lies in mobile phones tossed in trash’, March 5. India also has a lot to learn from this. A booming economy like India, that is increasingly dependent on electronic gadgets and electrical equipment, has created a new but dangerous stream of waste, called “electronic-waste”, or e-waste. Millions of pieces of electronic waste and electrical equipment ranging from personal computers, optical disc players, mobile phones and other portable devices containing toxic chemicals such as lead, cadmium, mercury and leaching plastics are being dumped on us by the developed world in the name of charity. The concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is not practical for India for the simple reason that the end-of-the-life-cycle is decided by the consumer and not by the manufacturer and so long as the product performs well, the product is used which is environmentally a sound decision. Even when product is old and outmoded, it is re-sold as second-hand to a person who finds bargain and value in the product.
The e-waste stage is much farther but as and when it comes, the method used to dispose waste must ensure safety and segregation of toxic and rare metals to partly fund such disposal systems.
M M Gurbaxani, Bangalore