Wipro starts paid e-waste disposal service

Wipro Infotech, the IT products & services division of Wipro, which was recently challenged by international non-profit organisation Greepeace, has finally come out with an e-waste disposal service.

The service started on September 1, 2006 and will be available to end-customers who want to dispose obsolete Wipro range of PCs, laptops and servers. The company has identified 15 locations across the country where the company executives will collect the e-waste from its customers and safely despatch it to certified agencies like Trishiraya Recycling and Ash Recyclers for recycling and disposal, a company spokesperson said.

However, the service will only be available on payment. Customers will have to pay Rs 5-7 per kg of material towards freight and logistics cost. As per a rough estimate, the cost will be around Rs 170 for a typical computer system consisting of a CPU, monitor and keyboard. Besides, the statutory levy such as duty, tax or octroi will also have to be borne by customers, according to an official release by the company.

"We are happy to pioneer this effort for our customers, which will enable disposal of e-waste in an appropriate and environment friendly way. The service is comprehensive covering all aspects of e-waste collection, recycling, monitoring and compliance to relevant pollution control laws," Ashutosh Vaidya, VP(personal computing) of Wipro Infotech, said.

The company will monitor the disposal of e-waste by the agencies to assure customers' of its safe execution and ensure compliance with pollution control norms. The company will also provide documentary evidence to customers.