Electronic recycling regulations promoted in India
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 - 08:55:23
Many of the gadgets and gizmos which we discard in the UK and send to be recycled can end up being shipped to foreign countries, with India attaining quite a reputation as the destination for electronic waste.
Now the Ministry for Environment and Forests is trying to put together a set of legislative changes, that will allow the authorities in India to better police the recycling of products like mobile phones, because there have been concerns about cases of malpractice within the industry.
The sheer number of mobile phones in India itself, when considered apart from those that might be imported for recycling, is thought to exceed 850 million. Although there are more mobile phones than people in the UK, the higher population of India means that proper disposal of used gadgets needs to be high on the agenda.
This year it is thought that people buying larger electronic devices such as desktop computers and laptops, will actually increase to its highest ever level, with estimates putting total sales at almost 13 million units. Common electronic items such as televisions, washing machines and fridges also need to be taken into account, so it is easy to see how the recycling task facing India's government is daunting to say the least.
A number of major companies have stepped in to help set up mobile and electronic recycling initiatives. Amongst them are Nokia, Dell and others, with the first scheme established six years ago.
Of course this is not a completely bulletproof solution because according to a Dell spokesperson, these companies will usually only recycle products they originally produced. This is why some kind of centralised solution is required to tackle the problem, which is mounting each day, both metaphorically and literally, as old electronics pile up.
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