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Rapid obsolescence of electronics goods, compounded by dumping from developed countries, has brought the e-waste problem in India to the brink of spilling over into an acute crisis
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What is e-waste?
From California to Calcutta, Stockholm to Sialkot or London to Lucknow, electronics are changing the lives of people everywhere. They are touching every aspect of our lives – the way we do business, keep in touch with family, bring up children or entertain ourselves. And in the wake of this 21st century revolution, looms a disaster that is sure to damage the quality of our lives and that of generations to come. The problem of electronic waste, or e-waste, requires urgent global action. Discarded electronic waste is the fastest growing stream of waste in industrialised countries. Not surprising, when you consider that the electronics industry is the fastest growing manufacturing industry. The industry thrives on new aspirational products. Consumers are drawn to the latest cellular phones, personal stereos, air conditioners, consumer electronics and computers. The extreme obsolescence of these products spawns a unique ‘disposable’mindset where products are replaced rather than repaired. Though this rapid obsolescence is a result of rapidly evolving technology, it is clear that the throw-away principle yields great monetary benefits to corporates.
On the other hand, the waste generated contains many toxic substances that pose a serious threat to the health of communities and their environment. Disturbingly, the communities that are affected by the toxics in e-waste need not necessarily be those that are creating the waste. The largescale unethical export of e-waste by industrialised nations to developing countries such as India, China and Pakistan is shifting the onus of development to communities that are ill-equipped to deal with such waste.