Resource Generation from E-waste Assistant Professor Cambridge Institute of Technology, Tatisilwai, Ranchi ABSTRACT: Industrial revolution followed by advances in information technology during the last century has made a far reaching impact on people's life. Since the 1990s, electrical and electronic equipment have penetrated into the lives of human beings. With ever increasing technological innovation and the advent of new designs and technology at regular times is causing the early obsolescence of these devices and the life times of our devices on the whole are decreasing.this results in the generation of electrical and electronic waste. The issue of proper management of wastes, therefore, is critical to the protection of livelihood, health and environment. It constitutes a serious challenge to the modern societies and requires coordinated efforts to address it for achieving sustainable development. The aim of this article is to highlight the key issues involved in the generation, management and resource generation from e-waste. Keywords: E-waste, WEEE; E-waste initiatives; E-waste assessment; E- waste management; Challenges INTRODUCTION Due to progress in the field of science and technology brought about by industrial revolution in the 18th Century which marked a new era in human civilization. In the 20th Century, the information and communication revolution has brought huge changes in the way we organize our lives, our economies, industries and institutions. These impressive developments in modern times have undoubtedly enhanced the quality of our lives. At the same time, these have led to manifold problems including the problem of massive amount of hazardous waste and other wastes generated from electric products. These hazardous and other wastes pose a great threat to the human health and environment. With ever increasing technological innovation and the advent of new designs and technology at regular times is causing the early obsolescence of these devices and the life times of our devices on the whole are decreasing. This results in the generation of electrical and electronic waste. The issue of proper management of wastes, therefore, is critical to the protection of livelihood, health and environment The Global E-waste Monitor 2014: Quantities, Flows and Resources provides an unprecedented level of detail and accuracy about the size of the world s e-waste challenge, ongoing progress in establishing specialized e- waste collection and treatment systems, and the outlook for the future. The amount of global e-waste discarded electrical and electronic equipment reached 41.8 million tonnes in 2014, according to a new United Nations University report. Defining E-waste E-waste has been defined as waste electrical and electronic equipment, whole or in part or rejects from their manufacturing and repair process, which are intended to be discarded. The high rates of obsolescence and the increasing use and dependence on electrical and electronic gadgets has resulted into generation of large quantities of E-waste. 149
E-waste or electronic waste can also be defined as discarded, surplus, obsolete, broken, electrical or electronic devices. Electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) can be classified in the following six categories: Temperature exchange equipment. Also more commonly referred to as, cooling and freezing equipment. Typical equipment is refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, heat pumps. Screens, monitors. Typical equipment comprises televisions, monitors, laptops, notebooks, and tablets. Lamps. Typical equipment comprises straight fluorescent lamps, high intensity discharge lamps LED lamps Large equipment. Typical equipment comprises washing machines, clothes dryers, dish washing machines, electric stoves, large printing machines, copying equipment and photovoltaic panels. Small equipment. Typical equipment comprises vacuum cleaners, microwaves, ventilation equipment, toasters, electric kettles, electric shavers, scales, calculators, radio sets, video cameras, electrical and electronic toys, small electrical and electronic tools, small medical devices, small monitoring and control instruments). Small IT and telecommunication equipment. Typical equipment comprises mobile phones, GPS, pocket calculators, routers, personal computers, printers, telephones). Global quantity of e-waste generated Year E-waste generated (Mt) Population (billion) E-waste generated (kg/inh.) 2010 33.8 6.8 5.0 2011 35.8 6.9 5.2 2012 37.8 6.9 5.4 2013 39.8 7.0 5.7 2014 41.8 7.1 5.9 Global E-waste Monitor 2014: Quantities, flows and resources, United Nations University Report 2014 The amount of e-waste is expected to grow to 49.8 Mt in 2018, with an annual growth rate of 4 to 5 per cent. Composition of E-waste E-waste consists of all waste from electronic and electrical appliances which have reached their end- of life period or are no longer fit for their original intended use and are destined for recovery, recycling or disposal. It includes computer and its accessories monitors, printers, keyboards, central processing units; typewriters, mobile phones and chargers, remotes, compact discs, headphones, batteries, LCD/Plasma TVs, air conditioners, refrigerators and other household appliances. The composition of E-waste is diverse and falls under hazardous and non-hazardous categories. Broadly, it consists of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, plastics, glass, wood and plywood, printed circuit boards, concrete, ceramics, rubber and other items. Iron and steel constitute about 50% of the waste, followed by plastics (21%), non-ferrous metals (13%) and other constituents. Non-ferrous metals consist of metals like copper, aluminium and precious metals like silver, gold, platinum, palladium and so on. The presence of elements like lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, selenium, and flame retardants beyond threshold quantities make E-waste hazardous in nature. It contains over 1000 different substances, many of which are toxic, and creates serious pollution upon disposal. Obsolete computers pose the most significant environmental and health hazard among the E-wastes. 150
The bulk of global e-waste in 2014 (almost 60%) was discarded kitchen, laundry, and bathroom equipment. Personal information and communication technology (ICT) devices such as mobile phones, personal computers, and printers accounted for 7% of e-waste. More specifically, e-waste in 2014 comprised: 12.8 million tonnes of small equipment (such as vacuum cleaners, microwaves, toasters, electric shavers and video cameras); 11.8 million tonnes of large equipment (including washing machines, clothes dryers, dishwashers, electric stoves, and photovoltaic panels); 7.0 million tonnes of temperature-exchange (cooling and freezing equipment); 6.3 million tonnes of screens; 3.0 million tonnes of small ICT equipment; and million tonne of lamps E-waste contains a number of toxic metals as well as valuable and scarce resources. The UNU report estimates that the e-waste discarded in 2014 contained an some 16,500 kilotons of iron, 1,900 kilotons of copper, and 300 tonnes of gold as well as significant amounts of silver, aluminum, palladium, and other potentially reusable resources. It also contained substantial amounts of health-threatening toxins such as mercury, cadmium, chromium, and ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons. Hence to prevent adverse impact on public health E-waste requires specific handling and treatment. Effects on Environment and Human Health Disposal of E-wastes is a particular problem faced in many regions across the globe. If the electronic items are discarded with other household garbage, the toxic pose a threat to both health and vital components of the eco system. Table 1. Effects of E-waste constituent on health:- Source of E-waste Constituent Health effects Solder in printed circuit boards, glass panels and gaskets in computer monitors Chip resistors and semiconductors Relays and switches, printed circuit boards Corrosion protection of untreated and galvanized steel plates, decorator or hardener for steel housings Lead (PB) Damage to central and peripheral nervous systems, blood systems and kidney damage Affects brain development of Children Cadmium(CD) Toxic irreversible effects on human health Accumulates in kidney and liver Causes neural damage Mercury (Hg) Chronic damage to the brain Hexavelent Chromium (Cr) Respiratory and skin disorders Asthamatic bronchitis DNA damage Front panel of CRTs Barium(Ba) Muscle Weakness Damage to heart, liver and spleen Motherboard Beryllium(Be) Carcinogenic (lung cancer) inhalation of fumes and dust Skin diseases 151
Processing of E Waste Management of E-waste can be made effective by the 3R principle Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Although the focus of this paper is on effective recycling technologies as recycling reduces waste going to final disposal, decreases consumption of natural resources and improves energy efficiency. Reuse is also as an important part in this ladder as it outlines the needs of appropriate collection, careful dismantling and creation of output qualities suitable for reuse. However, reused products or components thereof will have to be recycled in an environmentally sound way, as reuse is not really an alternative to recycling but an extension of lifetime before a product is recycled. In this respect this study does not look explicitly into technologies related to reuse but focuses instead on recycling technologies. Structure and main steps in the recycling chain The recycling chain for E-waste consists of three main subsequent steps: i) collection, ii) sorting/dismantling and pre-processing (incl. sorting, dismantling, mechanical treatment) and iii) end-processing Collection of E-waste: Collection of E-waste is of crucial importance as this determines the amount of material that is actually available for recovery. Many collection programmes are in place but their efficiency varies from place to place and also depends on the device. The collection centre where refrigerator and air conditioners are stored should have adequate facilities for handling / arresting leakage of compressor oils, CFCs/HCFCs if any. Covered shed/spaces may be used for storage of E-waste generated from IT and Telecommunication equipments while open spaces can be used for storage of refrigerators / washing machines /air conditioners. In case of storage of E-waste, generated from IT and Telecommunication equipment, in open spaces, containers with lids/covers may be used or may be segregated and stored at collection centre in suitable racks/containers/bins. Sorting/dismantling and pre-processing: The aim of dismantling and pre-processing is to liberate the materials and direct them to adequate subsequent final treatment processes. Hazardous substances have to be removed and stored or treated safely while valuable components/materials need to be taken out for reuse or to be directed to efficient recovery processes. This includes removal of batteries, capacitors etc. prior to further (mechanical) pre-treatment. The batteries from the devices can be sent to dedicated facilities for the recovery of cobalt, nickel and copper. For devices containing ODS such as refrigerators and air-conditioners, the degassing step is crucial in the pre-processing stage as the refrigerants used (CFC or HCFC in older models) need to be removed carefully to avoid air. The circuit boards present in ICT equipment and televisions contain most of the precious and special metals as well as lead (solders) and flame retardant containing resins. They can be removed from the devices by manual dismantling, mechanical treatment (shredding and sorting) or a combination of both. End-Processing: End-processing takes place at a global level and is dictated by the material stream. The goal of this step is to recover valuable components (i.e. precious metals) and remove impurities. Sampling and assaying is necessary in order to determine the composition and content of precious metals in the E-waste stream, and to ensure that the optimum process is used to recover precious metals. Informal E-waste recycling centre In developing countries as India there is a formal and informal E-waste recycling sector. Here since the E- waste volumes are large so a well-organized informal sector exists. The formal sector has not been able to establish itself as a competitor for activities typically performed by the informal sector. If there exists a better control of the informal sector, then it would adapt sustainable recycling technologies. Almost all the developing countries are characterized by informal activities in the E-waste recycling chain. Collection, manual dismantling, open burning to recover metals and open dumping of residual fractions are present in all countries. 152
Informal collection doesn t have major negative environmental impacts, but leads often to a high collection rate and bears economical and social benefits for the poor. Thus the inclusion of informal collection can be part of a sustainable recycling system. The informal recycling processes apply manual dismantling as the primary treatment to separate the heterogeneous materials and components physically with simple tools like hammers, screwdrivers, chisels etc. After the dismantling pre-processing, the components with reuse value are immediately shipped to repair shops for selling in the second hand market. The remaining valuable components like the parts containing copper, aluminium, steel, plastics, printer toner, and circuit boards are classified for further treatment. These dismantling processes usually do not have negative impacts on the environment either. One exception is the breaking of CRT glass. However, the separation and sorting often leads to the loss of valuable material and hence is partly inefficient. Recovering metals from E Waste Electronics contain up to 60 different elements, many of which are valuable, such as precious and special metals and some are hazardous. They are several processes by which these precious metals can be reclaimed: i) Urban Mining- It describes the process of reclaiming valuable components from existing products, buildings and waste. It has resulted in new job opportunities and environmental and economic benefits from the reclamation of components through recycling as opposed to primary non-renewable resources. Reclaiming materials from e-scrap is more profitable than processing concentrates largely due to the savings in energy associated with e-scrap recycling. 200-250 grams/ton of gold can be extracted from PC PWBS and 300-350 gram/ton of gold can be extracted from cell phones through urban mining. Similarly, 112,500-131,250 grams/ton of copper can be extracted from cell phones through the process. There are many other key stakeholders who can play very important role in promoting resource efficiency/3rs: National Government Local Government Private / Industry Sector Banks / Financial institutions Develop policies, programs, and institutions, innovative financing for resource efficiency / 3R infrastructures (eco-towns, eco-industrial parks, R&D facilities (Environment, 3Rs, Nano-Technology, IT, Biotechnology) etc.), create conducive policy framework to encourage PPPs, capacity building programs/facilities for SMEs, awareness programme for citizens, green procurement, foster triangular cooperation (government-private/industry- R&D/Universities) for, circular economic approach, green growth, technology transfer, information clearing house, etc. Integrate resource efficiency in urban development policy and strategy (energy, transport, water, industry), innovative financing for resource efficient infrastructure (eco-towns, eco- industrial parks, R&D facilities, etc.), realize PPPs, awareness programs for citizens, green procurement. Develop strategies to commercialize 3Rs, Environmental performance reporting, R&D (3R technologies, green products, waste recycling, waste exchange, green purchasing, PPP, in-house capacity building programs, CSR Investment/loan schemes for eco-town projects and green industries Scientific and Research Institutions / Universities Citizens / NGOs 153 Provide back up for science based policy making at government level, develop dedicated R&D projects on resource efficiency/3rs in collaboration with government and business/industry sector, create human resources and experts in the field of resource efficiency/3rs, look for international collaboration (University-University, University-Multi- national corporation), catalyst for decision makers, technology evaluation. Promote green consumerism, community awareness raising on house-hold waste segregation and its contribution to resource efficiency/3rs, knowledge dissemination
ii) Extractive Metallurgy- Copper is the most widely used metals in electronics due to its high electrical conductivity. Metals are added to copper to change the strength, hardness, and/or resistance to corrosion. Methods like pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy are used to recycle E-waste. Pyrometallurgy uses high temperatures for melting E-waste into impure copper that contains all other metals. Hydrometallurgy is a low temperature method that uses aqueous chemistry for the recovery of metals. E Waste management in Bangalore Increased E- Waste, one of the recent outcomes of the IT boom, is a major threat to the already deteriorating environment in Bangalore and is the most serious management challenges of recent years.bangalore is the IT hub of India having more than 1700 IT companies generating 8,000 tonnes of E-waste annually. Management of E waste has been done at the organizational level by Bharat electronics Ltd. (BEL). It is the first public sector company to initate Ewaste management. Banglaore is the first city which has identified the different stakeholders and is making demands to ensure that attention is given to ewaste and its proper management and disposal. Three main stakeholders have been identified: i) The Government agencies associated with e Waste which includes Karnataka state Pollution control Board(KSPCB), Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palika(BBMP), Department of Information Technology, Government of Karnataka. ii) The Generators (mainly producers and consumers) iii) The Recyclers(Both Formal and informal recyclers) Government agencies: The Karnataka State pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has the responsibility for enforcement of the rules and legislation. Hazardous waste rules are currently sufficient to address the safe disposal and recycling of E-waste. The industries are bound to dispose of the E-waste to a proper recycler who is authorized by the KSPCB or to find a proper land fill. None of the legislations objects to sale of E-waste to authorized bodies but selling to scrap dealers that do not have an authorization from the KSPCB is against the law. Bangalore has three authorized E-waste recycling units. A tracking system is also on place whereby waste disposed through the authorized vendors is documented under the hazardous waste rules. KSPCB has also made it mandatory for all new establishments seeking Consent for Establishment (CFE) to comply with E-waste regulations. All large companies in Bangalore are now well aware about the regulations regarding safe disposal of E-waste. Similar initiatives are required promptly from other pollution control board agencies of different states. Generators: The corporate sector and government institutions contribute largely to E-waste in the form of IT equipment. In addition educational institutions and households are also significant contributors. Within the corporate sector the hardware companies been looked at with special interest since they are required to take responsibility for the generation of E-waste. E-waste is also generated from the small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) that manufacture components. These SMEs also act as suppliers to the large multinationals. The SMEs generate E-waste not just from manufacturing but also contribute through extensive use of electronic equipment. If the service sector is included then the potential for generation of E-waste is huge. Most large IT companies in Bangalore have introduced well-defined E-waste management systems including identification, segregation and safe disposal of E-waste. Recyclers: There are two types of recyclers in Bangalore that play important role for managing the E-waste; (a) formal recyclers, (b) informal recyclers. Out of the two, the formal recyclers handle maximum E-waste recycling. E-Parisaraa, Ash recyclers are the two major formal recyclers and many big names as their customers. This included HP, IBM, GE, Intel, Motorola, ABB, Philips, Sony etc. Informal recyclers possess remarkable skills, which include the ability to recognize different types of raw materials. They are also meticulous in their recovery of this material from even small components. But the informal units usually 154
operate without a license in residential areas and pose a threat to the surrounding environment and communities. The informal recyclers should have training cum awareness programme on safe E-waste recycling procedures in the existing government recognized E-waste recycling units. E-waste management in Bangalore has moved forward in many ways and can now serve as a model for other cities and state in the country. Conclusion Electronic waste is considered the fastest growing section of the environmental and human health conservation reforms in the society. It is necessary to establish a viable means of shortening this vice to minimize or eliminate the pollution and impact on environment. Although it is difficult to quantify global e- waste amounts, but, it is well known that large amount ends up in places where processing occurs at a very rudimentary level (Tysdenova and Bengtsson, 2011). This issue needs to be addressed seriously and efforts to be made to estimate the actual amount of e-waste that is generated, its recycling and resource generation from it. This can minimise the threats posed to the environment and aim for sustainable development. REFERENCES 1. United Nations Environmental Program(UNEP), Recycling- From E-waste to Resources(New York: UNEP,2009) accessed at www.unep.org, on Nov15,2015 2. Electronic waste Management: Design,Analysis and Application, edited by Ronald E. Hester and Roy M.Harrison. New York: Springer,2009,150pp,ISBN 9780854041121. 3. UNEP and UNU, Sustainable Innovation and Technology Transfer Industrial Sector Studies: Recycling From E- waste to Resources. United Nations Environment Programme, Paris, France, 2009. 4. CPCB. Guidelines for environmentally sound management of E-waste (As approved vide MoEF letter No. 23-23/2007-HSMD) Delhi: Ministry of Environment and Forests, Central Pollution Control Board, March 2008. Available from: http://www.cpcb.nic.in 5. Ramachandra, T.V. and V.K. Saira, 2004. Environmentally sound options for waste management. Environ. J. Hum. Settl., pp: 3-11. 6. Global E-waste Monitor 2014: Quantities, flows and resources, United Nations University Report 2014. 7. Tysdenova O. and Bengtsson, M. 2011 Chemical Hazards Associated with Treatment of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. Waste Management 31: 56-61. 155