Poor segregation hampers e-waste recycling in Tiruchi

In Tiruchi, e-waste disposal is a growing problem as few residents responsibly dispose of their used electrical and electronic gadgets. Unmonitored private players and improper disposal of small appliances in public collection points make it hard to quantify e-waste. Mobile phone and home appliance dealers are the biggest generators, while government offices and educational institutions upgrade their equipment regularly. Certified recycling facilities should have dry land, a covered shed, and safety gear for staff.

Management of e-waste has become a growing problem in Tiruchi as few residents dispose of their used electrical and electronic gadgets in a responsible manner, say those in the recycling sector.

Discarding small appliances along with regular domestic waste in the public collection points has made it harder to quantify the e-waste generated in Tiruchi.

“We have noticed electric toothbrushes, hair trimmers and even computer accessories like pen drives being thrown away in the common trash. It would be better for residents to segregate their e-waste from the other bio-materials at source before handing it over for disposal. This eases subsequent processing,” a senior Tiruchi Corporation official told The Hindu.

The official said that the littering happened after the scheduled collection was over at the designated spots. “Most of the areas cleared by our conservancy workers at 8 a.m. are filled with trash by 11 a.m., usually by those residents who have missed the morning round,” he said.

At present, mobile phone and home appliance dealers in Tiruchi’s market areas are the biggest generators of e-waste and related packaging, said the official.

A Senthanneerpuram-based e-waste recycler said that high servicing charges by technicians often led people to store outmoded gadgets at home. “Government offices and educational institutions that upgrade their electrical/electronic equipment regularly form the bulk of our business at present,” said the recycler. The Senthaneerpuram outfit recycles up to 500-1,000 kilos of e-waste per month.

“There is a larger unmonitored sector of private players that deals in e-waste in Tiruchi. Not all may follow the norms set by Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) regarding recycling,” the unit official said.