Electronic Waste –Scenarios, Opportunities

and a Road Map

Ashish ChaturvediSenior Fellow, Adelphi, Berlin (Germany)

Presentation Overview

01

02

Evolution of E-waste Management in India

04 Opportunities

03 Challenges

05 Global Perspectives

06 India- Assets and Scenarios for future

07 Scenarios for the future

08 Strategic Approach and Road Map

Multiple Perspectives

2002

• E-waste first emerged as an environmental issue

2008• Guidelines for Electronic

Waste Management• 2 formal recyclers in India

2012

2016• Revisions E-waste Law

• More than 140 recyclers and dismantlers in India

• Electronic waste law comes into effect

• Nearly 100 dismantlers and recyclers in India

1. Evolution of E-waste management in India

• Installed Capacity – 350,000 tpa• Average capacity – 600-7000 tpa• E-waste Generated – 800,000-1.6 million tpa• 12 states have at least one dismantler/ recycler• The rest have no dismantler/ recycler

2. Multiple Perspectives

Environmental• E-waste is a resource• E-waste is an

environmental burden

Social• Rising e-waste is a reflection

of unsustainable lifestyles• Rising waste is a reflection of

rising prosperity

Economic• E-waste is a result of our booming

EEE industry• Rising e-waste is a reflection of our

industry’s inability to manage its environmental footprint

E-waste is not only an environmental policy issue

3.Challenges

Environmental• Uncontrolled

material flows• Inefficient practices

of recycling

Social• Lifestyles of waste• Levels of awareness are

low especially in small and medium towns

Economic• Segmented markets for

recycling – informal and formal• Business case of recycling and

EPR are still not established

E-waste Law 2011 has not been an outright success

4.Opportunities

Environmental

• Resources embedded in e-waste

• Pollution prevention• Reduction in primary

mining

Social

• Lifestyles of health and sustainability

• Mainstreaming of marginalized populations

Economic• Green Jobs• Competitiveness of Industry• Access to state of the art

technologies• Improvements in resource

productivity

E-waste Management can contribute to all three pillars of sustainable development

5. Global Perspectives

Europe

• European Union has a renewed focus on raw materials

• Circular Economy package launched in 2012 – currently being reviewed

• Member states have developed their domestic strategies• Germany – Raw Material Strategy (ProGress)

• UK – Making Waste work at home

• Focus on closing material loops as a part of Industrial Policy

• Innovation as an enabler of maintaining economic competitiveness

Source: Steven Art, Umicore - Presentation at International Roundtable on E-waste in Delhi, 2007

Innovative technology, focus on

secondary PM materials

•Recovering 17 metals:

Au, Ag, Pd, Pt, Rh, Ir, Ru,

Cu, Pb, Ni, Sn,

Bi, Se, Te, Sb, As, In

recovered metal value (2008):

PM: 2600 M$, others 400 M$

•350,000 t/a of complex PM

bearing feed materials

•PM-output > 45 t/a≈ 10% of world mine production

•Global customer base

•Minimizing waste (< 5%)

•High environmental standards

•> 1 billion € investment

State of the Art Facility in Europe

Au/Ag yield > 95%

Umicore‘s integrated metals

smelter at Hoboken/Antwerp

China

• Adopted a Circular Economy Law in 2008

• Set up a high level Circular Economy Institute under the mandate of the NDRC in 2013

• Integral part of the global value chain

• Infrastructure driven development – however, severely constrained due to the presence of the informal sector

Brazil

• Adopted a Solid Waste National Policy in 2014

• Shared responsibility model with partnerships of OEMs, Local government and retailers

• The social dimension of waste management has been high on policy makers agenda

• Innovative models involving the informal sector

• 120 companies• Recycling Capacity ≈ 1m - 1.5m tons of

waste• Waste includes electronics, vehicles,

rubber and plastic• Can supply

• 400,000 tons of copper p.a.• 150,000 tons of aluminum,

among other materials• “Engineering island", which brings

together energy savings and environmental protection by integrating sewage collection treatment, water reuse and rain collection. It is now reusing 100% of its water, without harming the desert environment.

Aerial view of the Tianjin Ziya Circular Economy Industrial Area recycling complex

China - Tianjin Ziya Circular Economy Industrial Area recycling complex

Retailers/ Wholesalers/

Importers

Consumers

Municipalities and Private Initiatives

Specialist Cooperatives

ManufacturaReversa

(Disassembly Plant)

WEEE Recyclers

Manufacturers

Recycling

Brazil – Approach for Engaging with Stakeholders in Value Chain

http://www.waste-management-world.com/articles/2013/03/brazil-e-waste-recycling-regulations-pnrs-explained.html

India

Assets/ Advantages

Developed culture of repair and reuse

Traditional practices and skills supporting repair and reuse

Low-Cost & Plentiful Workforce Highly skilled dismantlers and repair industry

Capacity Building of RegulatorsSignificant investments made already, training modules available

Rapidly rising awarenessAwareness levels in schools and colleges in metros is quite highSignificant experiences available

Relatively low levels of per capita waste generation

1.3 kg per capita as compared to China’s 4.4, Germany, US, UK – 20+

Experiences of engaging with informality

Project implemented by the Ministry through bilateral cooperation is several large cities

Strategic Approach

Develop state-civic-business alliances

E-waste needs cooperation across board; alliances will drive implementation of policies

Strengthening links between SPCBs and ULBs

Infrastructure for waste management would benefit from synergies –cooperation between ULBs and SPCBs is critical

Capacity Building of RegulatorsSignificant investments made already, training modules available

Deepening Engagement of SPCBs with OEMs and Formal RecyclersNext generation “policy” processes where the environmental regulator is the facilitator.

Hub and Spoke Model for InfrastructureRegional refineries, state-wide material recovery facilities, city-wide collection infrastructure

Debate and engage with informalityBiggest challenge in emerging/ developing countries – India’s leadership will prove game changing

Road Map for the Future

04 Capacity building

03Appropriate Infrastructure

01 Strategy

• Raw Material and Secondary Resource Strategy for India

• A technical advisory group that informs policy processes cutting across different secondary resources

02 Knowledge-base

05 Cross Ministry Collaboration

• Inventories at national and state level• Database of appropriate technologies• Business models

• Acquisition of BAT through bilateral cooperation and technology transfer

• Increased funds for R&D• Technology appraisal mechanisms

• Awareness building • Targeted programmes for

SPCBs, Schools and other key stakeholders

• Digital India Initiative • Make in India initiative • Skill India Initiative

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!