Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Increasing e-waste presents a huge challenge in India

I recently returned from a trip to India, and from my own observation, I can say that Indian consumers are becoming more and more like their western counterparts in using disposable goods. Cell phones, computers and other electronics are being consumed at a very fast pace, with many folks changing gadgets with changing fashion--not because the gadget went bad, but just to keep-up with their peers.

This accelerated consumerism is leading to an increasing amount of e-waste and I did not come across any programs by the civic authorities to alleviate this problem. Waste management has always been a challenge in the major metros of India, adding to that, the proper disposal of e-waste is going to present an even bigger problem in the coming years.

India would be confronted with the threat of accumulation of e-waste in the coming years if necessary policy and regulations are not put in place to check its growth now, says a paper presented at the recently held 'Kerala Environment Congress-2010.'
E-waste volume to increase in coming years