“e-Waste Assessment in India:

Specific Focus on Delhi”

2
 “e
e-Waste Assessme
A ent in Ind
dia:
Specific
c Focus on
o Delhi”
A Quantittative Understand
ding of Ge
eneration
n,
Disposa
al & Recy
ycling of Electroniic Waste

Nov
vember 2007
2

Prepared by:

B
BIRD
Research-baased Consultancy for B2B and
teechnology Markets

Vivek Khattar Dr. Ashish Chaturvedi

eet Kaur
Jaspre Dr. Rachnaa Arora

nputs from Dr. Juergen

with in J Bischo
off and Ulrike Killguss
K (GTZ-A
ASEM), Vinnie Mehta (MAIT),, Mikael Henzle
er and
Pooja Sawhney (Ade elphi Research, Berlin) and Stefan Melnitzkyy (AREC, Vienn
na).

3
FOREWORD
The Indo-European e-Waste Initiative (IEeWASTE) aims to provide improved technologies
and skills for holistic management of e-waste through installation of suitable collection,
recycling and disposal systems, substitution or minimisation of toxic substances in production
and product design, development and enforcement of adequate policies and regulatory
systems.

In the last five years through the involvement of various stakeholders there has been
widespread awareness and capacity building about the dangers posed due to increasing
amounts of electronic wastes. The several workshops, brainstorming sessions, key player
dialogues with producers, consumers, NGOs, bilateral agencies, corporate sector, scientific
institutions and regulatory agencies have emerged with the building blocks for e-waste
management in India. One of the major stumbling block was the absence of regulation
pertaining to e-waste. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has now come up with a
Guideline for environmentally sound management of e-waste under the Hazardous Waste
(Management and Handling) Rules, 2002. The Guidelines provides a road map for the
management of e-waste and supports the National Environmental Policy (2006) as well as
Tenth Five year plan (2002-2007) which furnishes significant importance to the social status
of informal sector. The Guideline also emphasizes extended producer responsibility (EPR) as
strategy for making the producers responsible for the entire life cycle of the product for take-
back of the electronic products and proper disposal of the waste.

GTZ-ASEM is supporting the Indian government in creating awareness, policy formulation

and advocacy, creating management models, assessment and projections for e-waste as
well as supporting and capacity building of the formal and informal sector for improved
recycling capacity. GTZ-ASEM is working extensively with the informal sector with
interventions for provision of safe working environment, reassurance of sustainability, training
and capacity building of the workers, occupational health and safety and income stability.
GTZ-ASEM is privileged to implement the IEeWASTE initiative with Indian and European
partners, co-financed by EC for creating a sustainable management system of handling e-
waste through multistakeholder approach.

Dr. Juergen Bischoff

Director,
GTZ-ASEM

4
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword

Executive Summary

Chapter 1 India E-waste Assessment Report

Chapter 2 Delhi E-waste Assessment Report

Chapter 3 Conclusions & Recommendations

Annexures

References

5
LIST OF FIGURES, TABLES AND BOXES
Figures

Figures Page No

Figure 1 Population of India by Age 14

Figure 2 PC Sales (in 000’s) 15
Figure 3 Households and Businesses Share in the overall PC sales 15
Figure 4 Break-up of Desktop PC Sales by Different Verticals of Businesses 15
Figure 5 Break-up of Desktop PC Sales by Size of Organizations 16
Figure 6 Break-up of Desktop PC Sales in Businesses by Town Class 16
Figure 7 Sales Forecasts of Desktop and Notebook Sales for Next Five Years (in 000’s) 17
Figure 8 Breakup of GSM & CDMA subscribers 17
Figure 9 Share of Top Players in 2006-07 Revenues 19
Figure 10 Market Size of Televisions (1995-2007) 19
Figure 11 Region wise Breakup of Television Sales 19
Figure 12 Current Television Scenario and Projections for 2015 20
Figure 13 Processes Followed by Formal Recyclers 22
Figure 14 Comparison of Three Formal Recycling Facilities in India 23
Figure 15 Funnel Approach for e-waste Estimation 25
Figure 16 E-waste Generated from Computers in the Year 2007 26
Figure 17 Profile of e-waste from Desktops in 2007 27
Figure 18 Forecasts of Potential Annual e-waste from Desktops (in MT) 27
Figure 19 Forecasts of Desktops e-waste from Businesses (in MT) 28
Figure 20 E-waste from Televisions in Year 2007 28
Figure 21 Forecasts of Potential Annual e-waste from Television for Next Five Year (in MT) 29
Figure 22 E-waste from Mobile Phones in Year 2007 29
Figure 23 Forecasts of Potential Annual e-waste from Mobile Phones 30
Figure 24 Total e-waste generated in India in 2007 30
Figure 25 Detailed Profile of End Users 33
Figure 26 Level of Awareness & Knowledge about e-waste Problem 37
Figure 27 Reaction after the Exposure to e-waste Concept Card: Additional Pains 39
Figure 28 Reaction after the Exposure to e-waste Concept Card: Low Price 39
Figure 29 Considerations while Disposing Off Used Electronic Products 41
Figure 30 Level of Knowledge among all Householders 41
Figure 31 After Exposure to e-waste Concept, Level of
Agreement to take Additional Pains and Accept Lower Price 42
Figure 32 E-waste Trade Chain 43
Figure 33 Dismantling of Computer into Components 45
Figure 34 Electronic waste recycling areas in Delhi and NCR with specific functions 46

6
TABLES

Table Page No.

Table 1 Ownership of Durables 51
Table 2 Desktop Growth Rate 51
Table 3 Share of Desktops and Notebooks in Overall PC market 51
Table 4 Yearly Growth of Mobile Phone Subscribers 51
Table 5 Top Players and their Revenues of last Two Years 52
Table 6 Delhi Vs Mumbai: Recycling Process 52
Table 7 Estimation of Potential Annual e-waste 53
Table 8 Business Desktop Sales by Activity of Business 53
Table 9 Household Desktop Sales by SEC 54
Table 10 E-waste from Desktops (Businesses) 54
Table 11 E-waste from Desktops (Households) 54
Table 12 Overall E-waste from Desktops & Notebooks (in Tonnes) 55
Table 13 E-waste from Notebooks (Businesses) 55
Table 14 E-waste from Notebooks (Households) 55
Table 15 Television Market Size and e-waste 56
Table 16 Mobile Handset Market Size and e-waste 56
Table 17 E-waste Generated from Handset Replacement (in number) 56
Table 18 Potential E-waste Generated from Handset Replacement (in tonnes) 57
Table 19 E-waste from Televisions (in tonnes) 57
Table 20 Potential Annual e-waste Region wise Generation Rate (in MT) 57
Table 21 Percentage Replacement of Computers/year 58
Table 22 Percentage Replacement of Computers by Manufacturing Organizations 58
Table 23 Percentage Replacement of Computers by Services 58
Table 24 Driving Force for Computer Disposal in Business Segment 58
Table 25 Methods adopted for Disposal of Computer and IT Products in Business Segment 59
Table 26 Consideration for Disposal of Computer & IT Products in Business Segment 59
Table 27 Expectations from Formal Recyclers 59
Table 28 Reasons for Replacing Computers in Households 60
Table 29 Reasons for Replacing Televisions in Households 60
Table 30 Reasons for Replacing Mobile Phones in Households 60
Table 31 Method of Disposal in Households 60
Table 32 E-waste Generated in Delhi from Different Types of Businesses (in numbers) 61
Table 33 E-waste Generated in Delhi from Different Types of Businesses (in tonnes) 61
Table 34 E-waste Generated in Delhi from Different SEC of Households (in numbers) 61
Table 35 E-waste Generated in Delhi from Different SEC of Households (in tonnes) 62
Table 36 Overall e-waste from Desktops Generated in Delhi (in tonnes) 62
Table 37 Business Desktop Sales by Business Activity and Households 62

BOXES
Box 1 Concept Card Signifying electronic waste generation, collection and recycling 38
Box 2 E-waste Generated from Desktops in Delhi 48

7
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
ITOPs: IT and Office Products Survey (A study on the IT market in India by IMRB
International) ITOP also does an extensive survey across businesses and households to
understand the replacement behavior.
MoEF: Ministry of Environment and Forest
CPCB: Central Pollution Control Board
MAIT: Manufacturers’ Association of Information Technology
TEMA: Telecom Equipment Manufacturer’s Association
CEAMA: Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association
ELCINA: Electronic Industries Association of India
ICA: Indian Cellular Association
SEC: Socio Economic Classification
CAGR: Compounded Annual Growth Rate

8
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Indo-European-e-Waste Initiative (IEeWASTE) contributes to improved technologies and
skills for e-waste management and recycling in India and improved working and living
environment of urban dwellers working in the (informal) e-waste recycling sector through
better managed e-waste streams, resource protection, reduced health risks and a better
economic situation. In the first phase of the project, an extended desk assessment was
conducted to gain a reliable overview of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
in India. The assessment focuses on identification of e-waste streams and quantification,
identification of major stakeholders in the e-waste business, recycling and disposal
processes and environmental, health and social impacts. To supplement the desk
assessment a rapid field assessment was conducted in Delhi focussing on quantification of
e-waste generated and future projections, material flow, processes of recycling and disposal,
environmental impact of e-waste recycling and assess capacities of existing stakeholders.

The objectives of the WEEE Assessment study are to develop a sound methodology for
estimation the volume of WEEE produced in India (limited to Computers, Television and
mobile phones), projections of e-waste over next five years, disposal behavior and recycling
practices, identify stakeholders in e-waste trade value-chain, assess capacities of existing
recyclers and recommend a national action plan for major stakeholders to ensure proper
handling and disposal of e-waste.

Methodology

The methodology adopted for e-waste assessment and quantification study is Funnel
Approach for accuracy and better understanding of the e-Waste production in India. In the
funnel approach, the e-Waste quantities are estimated at three levels:

• Potential Annual e-waste: It typically includes products at the end of active life which
either gets stacked inside warehouses/store rooms or products that are not sold by
consumers because of inappropriate resale value or are used for lower level
application.

• E-waste Available for Recycling: It includes the products that have been
exchanged/ sold by their owners. Large quantities of the Waste Electrical and
Electronic Equipments get refurbished, reused or relocated to smaller towns or
villages.

• E-waste Recycled: This includes the disposed electronic products which are actually
recycled and would include the dismantled parts and components of the electronic
and electrical products.

The total annual e-waste generated in India in the year 2007 is 3,82,979 MT, including
50,000 MT of imports in India. This forms the first level of the funnel as shown in the Figure,
specifying the potential annual e-waste generated in India. The next level of the funnel is the
amount available for recycling which is 1,44,143 MT but due to the presence of considerable
refurbishment market only 19,000 MT of e-waste has been recycled in the year 2007.

9
 Level 1 Potential Annual e‐waste: 3, 82,979 MT
Imports: 50,000 MT
Computers: 56,324 MT
Mobile Phones: 1655 MT
Televisions: 27,5000 MT

Total e‐waste available for Recycling: 1,44,143 MT

Level 2 Imports: 50,000 MT
Computers: 24,000 MT
Mobiles: 143 MT
Televisions: 70,000 MT

Level 3 Total e‐waste Recycled: 19,000 Tonnes

Computers: 12,000 MT
Televisions: 7000 MT

Of the total e-waste generated in the country, Western India accounts for the largest
proportion at thirty five percent, followed by the South at thirty percent. North and East
account for twenty one percent and fourteen percent respectively. While North India is not a
leading generator, it happens to be the leading processing centre of e-waste in the country.
Currently there are no formal recyclers operating in the north or the east. There are two
formal recyclers in the south of India and one in Western India. It is understood that several
formal recycling facilities would be coming up across the country in the next couple of years.

e-waste Generation: Regional Spread

40% 35%
30%
% of total

21%
20%
14%

0%
North East West South
Regions

Additionally higher per capita income, rate of change of technology and peer pressure
contributes to increased rate of obsolescence of electronics. The lack of stringent regulations
and awareness in India and presence of cheap labor makes India a destination for dumping
of obsolete electronics from developed countries. It is however illegal to import e-waste in
India as it is a signatory to Basel Convention that bans the import of hazardous substances in
India. Therefore the electronic products are being imported in India in a clandestine manner.
Based on the secondary sources, it is estimated that around 50,000 metric tonnes of e-waste
is being imported to India every year.

10
Currently in India, recycling of disposed electronic products is being handled by two
segments: Formal recyclers and Informal recyclers. The formal recyclers are handling a
minor proportion close to 5% of the overall e-waste recycled in India (19,000 MT) while the
rest proportion is being recycled by informal recyclers. The informal recyclers are highly
networked and skilled in terms of collection of raw material. The main difference between the
formal and informal recyclers is that the formal recyclers comply with the environmental and
occupational health and safety norms as they are regularly audited and certified by regulatory
agencies
Following recommendations are suggested on the basis of observations and results:
• A specific legislation should be developed on e-waste addressing the problems of
imports as well as tackling large quantities being generated in the country itself.
• The manufacturers should take the lead and initiate extended producer responsibility
or take-back initiatives either individually or collectively to manage their end of life
products in a holistic manner.
• The Government should develop an inclusive model of environmentally friendly
recycling wherein informal recyclers also have a stake and their skills are utilized
properly.
• The awareness and capacity needs to be built up of consumers, recyclers,
government and industry by NGOs and action groups on the hazards posed by
improper disposal and measures to be adopted for proper disposal.
• A policy to be drafted for institutional users of computers where all the buyers of IT
products must include methods of disposal of computers in their IT policy document. It
should also be mandatory for the institutional users to declare their annual
procurement, replacement and disposal of computers in their annual reports.
• The refurbishment or recycling business can become a profitable line of business for
the computer manufacturers/vendors by developing a vibrant market for second hand
electronic products.
• All the stakeholders should come forth and engage in dialogues to find sustainable
solution on the issues of e-waste management.

11
CHAPTER 1 INDIA E-WASTE ASSESSMENT
1.0 INTRODUCTION

Electronic waste, "e-waste" or "Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment" ("WEEE") is

waste material consisting of any broken or unwanted electrical or electronic appliances. As
per the CPCB Guidelines, 2008 e-waste is defined as waste generated from used electronic
devices and household appliances which are not fit for their originally intended use and are
destined for recovery, recycling and disposal. According to WEEE Directive, the components
in WEEE are:

- IT & Telecom Equipments ‐ Electrical & Electronic Tools

- Large Household Appliances - Toys, Leisure & Sports Equipment
- Small Household Appliances - Medical Devices
- Consumer & Lighting - Monitoring & Control Instruments

Despite its common classification as a waste, disposed electronics are a considerable

category of secondary resource due to their significant suitability for direct reuse (for
example, many fully functional computers and components are discarded during upgrades),
refurbishing, and material recycling of its constituent raw materials. The unauthorized e-
waste dismantling, recycling, resource recovery has become a global concern because many
components of the above equipment are toxic and non-biodegradable and the processes
employed for material recovery are hazardous.

The phenomenal growth of IT and electronics industry, changing lifestyle of people,

technological development, low cost availability of electronic gadgets and hunger race has
lead to increased rates of consumption of electronic products. The high obsolescence rate,
change in application systems, new technological development and peer pressure has lead
to increased generation of Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipments (WEEE). Coupled
with internal high quantity of discarded electronics, the imports add more to the anguish of
this increasing waste stream. The Basel Action Network (BAN) and Silicon Valley Toxics
Coalition (SVTC) released the report Exporting Harm: The High-Tech Trashing of Asia with
the assistance of participating organizations in February, 2002. This report revealed the
millions of pounds of electronic waste being exported to developing nations by the developed
countries to prevent the escalating mountains of e-waste in their countries. Despite the
existence of Basel Convention, designed for prevention of toxic waste exportation from rich
to poorer countries, the toxic trade continues at a rampant scale for economic pressures and
incentives to export.

The relative novelty of e-waste as a contributor to the urban solid waste stream has meant
that there is very little awareness on its safe management. This lack of awareness is further
complicated by the lack of proper recycling facilities for e-waste. The households, business,
corporate and enterprises are at the similar level in terms of disposal of end-of life electronic
products. The legislation specifically pertaining to electronic waste management is lacking in
India like other developing nations, thus, the toxic e-waste trade continues in an
unsustainable manner. In India, e-waste is segregated, dismantled and recycled in the
informal sector based in urban slums. Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) such as
Basel Action Network (BAN), Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) and Toxics Link have
revealed that these backyard homegrown recycling industries are working with the most
primitive processes (BAN Report, 2002). For example, it is a common-place to find
12
operations such as open burning of wires to extract re-saleable copper, soaking of circuit
boards in open acid bath followed by manual scrapping to extract copper and precious
materials next to open drains, mercury and cyanide amalgams to extract gold and other
precious metals and breaking and regunning of toxic lead laden CRTs (Williams, 2005). A
study by Greenpeace confirms the presence of heavy metals laden dust in the major
recycling hubs of Delhi. The analysis of dust samples and ashes confirms the presence of
cadmium, lead, zinc and Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) along with other organic
contaminants (Greenpeace).

Presently, India has about 20 million computers which are expected to grow to 75 million by
the year 2010 and an estimated 2.2 million computers will be obsolete in 2007. Around 14
million mobile handsets will be replaced for new mobiles in 2007 (IMRB ITOPs Study).
Moreover a study by Toxics Link reveals that India generates $1.5million worth of e-Waste
annually, with 1050 tonnes of electronic scrap dumped by manufacturers and assemblers
(Beary, 2005).

The Indian economy just joined the trillion dollar GDP club- $4.156 trillion (2006). It is now the
4th largest economy and will cross Japan between 2012 and 2014 to become the 3rd largest
in the world, 30% of Indian population will be between 25-44 years of age in the year 2020.
The young and earning age profile of the Indian population offers huge potential for
consumer durables. The total sales of PCs, Desktop PCs & Notebooks registered 6.34 Million
units in 2006-07. Businesses have typically accounted for three-fourth of the Desktop PCs
sales in India. The rapid growth of telecommunication industry has led to an accelerated
growth in Indian mobile phone market. Indian mobile handset market has touched revenues
of Rs. 21,434 crores in the year 2006-07. The mobile handset sales in India, including new
users and replacements, has increased by 26% to 9.3 crores (93 million) units in 2007.

1.1 Objectives

The objectives of the WEEE Assessment study are as follows:

• To develop a sound methodology to estimate the volume of WEEE produced in India
(limited to Computers, Television and mobile phone categories)
• To estimate the quantity of which will be generated over the next five years
• To understand the disposal behavior and drivers of users (households and
businesses) of electronic equipment
• To identify and describe the current disposal and recycling practices for the above e-
Waste
– To identify various stakeholders in the e-waste value-chain with a special
emphasis on the city of Delhi
– To assess the capacities of existing recyclers (both formal and informal)
• To recommend an action plan for various key stakeholders (government,
manufacturers, associations) to ensure environmentally-friendly method for e-waste
handling and disposal

1.2 Stakeholders Interviewed

The various categories of stakeholders met for achieving the objectives of this study are
broadly classified into four categories:
1. End Users: including households and institutions
2. Channel Members: Scrap collectors, scrap aggregators, scrap resellers
3. Suppliers & Experts: MAIT, CEAMA, ELCINA, TEMA, HCL, ICA, Toxics Link

13
 4. Formal Recyclers: Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai

1.2.1 Channel Members

The key channel members (aggregators, segregators and recyclers) of the unorganized
trade-chain at various levels were met in and around Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai to map
their functioning at different levels and to understand the supply chain. The informal recyclers
met as the part of the study were usually present in the outskirts of the cities. The informal
recyclers, traders and workers were interviewed by an unstructured discussion and meeting
to extract information on their trade chain, regional spread, networking, sourcing of material,
refurbishing and reuse, economics and trading/markets of refurbished components,
dismantling and processing mechanism and final disposal.
The first area covered while studying this segment was Delhi covering areas like Shastri
Park, Mandoli, Krishna Vihar, Mustafabad, Seelampur and Turkman Gate. In Mumbai,
regions covered were Kurla and Lamington Road. In Chennai, the Chennai port was visited
to understand the movement of imports. The informal sector was not willing to share any
information related to their business, like sourcing of material, dismantling and processing of
wastes, economics and scale of operation as they were unhappy with earlier interviews and
reports which portrayed them as unscrupulous workers performing illegal activities.

1.2.2 Formal Recyclers

The companies recycling e-waste in environmentally sound manner i.e. formal recyclers were
also met for in-depth interviews. The three formal recycling facilities met in this category
were: Trishyiraya (Chennai), Infotrek (Mumbai) and E-Parisara (Bangalore). The information
areas studied in this segment are the scope of work, sourcing of materials, installed
production capacities, processes adopted by these formal recyclers, methods of recycling,
challenges faced in sourcing and processing of material and initiatives undertaken by them to
create awareness in market about their existence.

1.2.3 Experts

The Experts on the subject and manufacturers were met to understand the trends & market
of computers, television and mobile phones in India. . The information gathered from in-depth
structured interviews was on the average age of the electronic products, current and past
trends of Market Size, replacement rate, expected quantity of e-waste produced from these
three products and immediate steps that can be taken by the industry to resolve the issue of
e-waste. The Experts met were Industrial Associations like Manufacturers Association of
Information and Technology (MAIT), CEAMA, Electronic Industries Association of India
(ELCINA), Telecom Equipment Manufacturer’s Association of India (TEMA), Industries like
HCL, Indian Cellular Association (ICA) and NGOs working on the issue like Toxics Link.

1.2.4 End Users

The End Users were met in Delhi and NCR region to understand the disposal pattern of
electronic equipments. The respondents met in this segment comprises of households and
business segment to collect primary data through structured discussion guide.

14
2.0 INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

The electronics industry is presently the World’s largest and the fastest growing
manufacturing industry. The Indian industry is also affected by the global markets resulting as
one of the largest markets for electrical and electronic products.

2.1 Indian Economic Growth

The Indian economy is changing remarkably with a 6% average GDP growth in the year
1980-2002 to 9.2% in the year 2005-2006 (Table 1). Indian economy just joined the trillion
dollar GDP club- $4.156 trillion (2006). It is now the 4th largest economy and it will cross
Japan between 2012 and 2014 to become the 3rd largest in the world. The 30% of India’s
population will be in the age group of 25-44 years in 2020. The young and earning age profile
of the Indian population offers huge potential for durables.
80+ 0.43
75-79 1.08 % Population 2006
70-74 1.52
65-69 2.02
60-64 2.47
55-59 3.15
50-54 4.06
45-49 5.04
40-44 6.00
35-39 6.72
30-34 7.36
25-29 8.09
20-24 9.27
15-19 10.70
10-14 11.01
5-9 10.73
0-4 10.36

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Figure 1: Population of India by Age (Total Population 2006: 1.11 Billion)

(Source: Government Census of India)

The electronic industries have emerged as the fastest growing segment of Indian industries
in terms of production, internal consumption and export. This growth has significant economic
and social impact as the rapidly increasing consumption and obsolescence rates of electronic
products are leading to higher generation of e-waste. The demographic data (Table 1) shows
that the base of rich class has increased from 15 million people (2001-02) to 30 million
people (2006-07) and they are the highest consumer of durables.

2.1.1 PC market in India – Trends

PCs sales surpassed the 6 Million mark in the year 2006. The sales of PCs, Desktop PCs &
Notebooks combined, registered 6.34 Million units in 2006-07, pegging a growth rate of 26%
over the previous year (ITOPS, a study on the IT market in India by IMRB International). The
Desktop market growth rate is given in Table 2. While the growth has slowed down over the
years, the market is still expected to keep growing at 15-20% over the next few years. The
household segment, e-Governance projects of the Government of India, Education, Media
Professionals and BFSI segments are the major growth drivers. The notebook PC sales are
increasingly eating away into the share of desktops sales. The share of notebook PC in the
PC market has increased to 13%. The ITOPs data given in Table 3 shows the share of
desktops and notebooks in overall PC market. There has been a definite trend towards
replacement of desktop PCs by notebooks in the relatively affluent households in India,
especially in the Tier I towns. Further, replacement rate of PCs in the new age Services
sectors such as BPOs, KPOs, IT, BFSI, Advertising, etc. is on the rise. Some services sector

15
companies replace nearly one-fourth of their PC installed base in one year itself. The PC
yearly sales for the year 2002-06 are given in Figure 2.

6000 5491

4615

4000 3633
3036 Desktop PCs
2294
Notebooks
2000
851
432
51 89 177
0
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Figure 2: PC Sales (in 000’s)

The desktop PC market is reaching the maturity phase while notebooks are just in the
beginning of growth phase. The households and business share in the overall PC sales from
year 2002-06 is given in Figure 3. Businesses have typically accounted for three-fourth of the
Desktop PCs sales in India

100% 5491 6000

81% 77% 4615
72% 75% 74% 5000
80%
3633
3036 HH 4000
60%
2294 3000
Establishment
40% 28% 26%
23% 25% Overall 2000
19%
20% 1000
0% 0
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Figure 3: Households and Businesses Share in the overall PC Sales

The break-up of desktop PC sales by different businesses is given in Figure 4. Service

companies are the majority buyers of Desktop PCs in India. Among the Industry Verticals,
Media & Professionals, Education Segment, BFSI and IT/Software/Hardware have added
significantly to the growth in the Establishment segment.

100% 3% 4% 3% 3% 6%
7% 8% 7% 12% 7%
80%

Govt. Locations
60%
Outlets
82% 79% 80% 74% 84% Office locations
40%
Factory locations

20%

8% 9% 10% 11%
0% 3%
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Figure 4: Break-up of Desktop PC sales by different Verticals of Businesses

16
Large companies contribute bulk of Desktop PC sales as shown in Figure 5. The number of
large companies as users is small in number and contributes major towards market size ,
thus a regulation on PC disposal practices targeting the producers will help in tackling the e-
waste problem significantly.
100%

80%
48% 47% 48%
56%
70%
60% Large

Medium
40% 28% Small
31% 31%
25%

20% 18%

21% 22% 24%

19%
12%
0%
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Figure 5: Break-up of Desktop PC Sales by Size of Organizations

The top 4 cities have traditionally accounted for bulk of Desktop PC sales in businesses as
shown in Figure 6. Effective PC disposal in large businesses in the top 8 cities of India will
make a significant reduction in e-waste quantities.

100%

80% 39%
50% 54%
58% 62%
60% Rest of India
9%
Next 4 cities
11%
40% 6% 12% Top 4 cities
8%
52%
20% 39% 36% 34% 30%

0%
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Figure 6: Break-up of Desktop PC Sales in Businesses by Town Class

Robust PC sales are expected in the light of Services sector growth, consumer purchases
and lowering prices. The sales forecast of desktop and notebooks sales for the year 2008-
2012 is given in Figure 7.

17
 Desktops Notebooks
12571
12000 10931
9505
9000 8266 7779
7188
6250 5557
6000 3969
2835
3000 1446 2025

0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Figure 7: Sales forecasts of Desktop and Notebook Sales for next five years (in 000’s)

2.1.3 Mobile Market in India: Trends

Indian Telecommunication industry has shown a tremendous growth in the past five years.
Even though the fixed line market share has been dropping consistently, the overall (fixed
and mobile) subscribers have risen to more than 250 million by the end of 2007. The growth
rate of mobile phone subscribers from the year 2000-2007 is given in Table 4. The Break-up
of GSM and CDMA mobile phone subscribers is given in Figure 8. The telecom reforms have
allowed the foreign telecommunication companies to enter Indian market which has still got
huge potential. International telecom companies like Vodafone have made entry into Indian
market in a big way. With saturation in the urban market, growth in Indian mobile market will
be driven by an increased focus on the rural market, aggressive promotions, and handset
bundle offers. In March 2007, mobile subscribers in rural India accounted just 20% of the
Indian mobile subscriber base. However, it is forecasted to grow at a Compounded Annual
Growth Rate (CAGR) of more than 47% during 2007 to 2010. Rural India will account for
around 35-38% of the total mobile handset sales by 2010.

Figure 8: Break up of GSM & CDMA Subscribers

The rapid growth of telecommunication industry has lead to an accelerated growth in India’s
Mobile Phone market. The growth rate of top mobile companies and their revenues is given
in Table 5. Indian Mobile handset market has touched revenues of Rs.21,434 crores in the
year 2006-07. The revenues were at around Rs. 14,258 crores in the last year; a growth was
around 62%. The mobile handset sales, including new users and replacements, in India has
18
increased by 26% to 9.3 crores (93 million) units in 2007. Without counting the replacement
sales, around 4 million handsets are being sold each month. Assuming that a quarter of
mobile phone users change their mobile phones every year, the replacement market would
be around 12 million mobile phones in a year. Two years ago, the replacement market for
mobile phones was barely 8-10% of the total sales, at present, it accounts for a 20-25%
share which implies that almost one-fourth the number of each year’s sales is the number of
mobile phones entering the e-waste stream (Source: RNCOS – 2007, TRAI, AUSPI, MCIT).

2.1.3.1 Growth Factors

The primary reason for the successful Indian mobile market is the mantra of “quantity for
lower cost”. The rapid growth in the telecommunication sector has been boosted mainly by
many growth factors like availability of cheaper handsets, declining telecom tariffs,
aggressive promotions from operators and handset bundling schemes, newer locations
getting added up in the geographies of mobile coverage, substantial youth population is
propelling the market, advances in technology, fast growing middle class, extensive
privatization of industries, availability of phones in the branded retail shops and CDMA
operators moving towards open market.

Base: 21,434 Crores Sony Ericsson Samsung

6% 6%
Others
12%
Nokia
54%

LG
11%
Motorola
11%

Figure 9: Share of Top Players in 06-07 Revenues (Source: ORG-Gfk)

Nokia, Motorola & LG lead in mobile handset market as shown in Figure 9. These three big
players can be targeted to undertake manufacturers’ responsibility for managing end of life
mobile phones.

2.1.4 Television Market in India: Trends

The current size of the industry (in terms of revenue) is Rs.191 billion and projected size by
2011 is Rs.519 billion growing at a CAGR of 22%. However still India has about 50%
penetration of TVs, phenomenal potential exists if we compare with the potential of other
markets like China (98%), France (235%), Japan (250%) and US (333%) (Source: NCAER).

2.1.4.1 Growth Factors

Various factors contributing to this growth of television industry are as growing income levels,
falling prices of new Televisions, consumerism & high purchasing power, technological
improvements in the Television and related industries. The Figure 10 depicts the market size
of Black & White (B&W) and Color televisions since 12 years (1995-2007). Sales of B&W
televisions are decreasing but color televisions sales are increasing at a higher rate.

19
 16 15.0

14
11.5
12
10.3
10 9.3
8.0
8 6.8
5.8 6.0 6.0 5.9 5.7
6 5.0 5.3
5.0 4.5
3.8 3.9 3.5
4 2.8 3.0
2.5
1.8 2.1 2.0
1.5
2 1.0

0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
B&W COLOR

Figure 10: Market Size of Televisions (1995-2007)

The region wise breakup of television sales from the year 1996-2004 (Figure 11) shows that
while West & South lead the way followed by Northern India with significant growth of TV
sales. The high growth rate of TVs in the North region points towards a critical need for an
organized recycler in North region to take care of the replaced televisions. The Western and
Southern India should be focused for organized collection and recycling of Televisions owing
to their high sales in the past few years.

N S E W

100%
90%
30%
80% 37% 38% 37% 38% 36% 39% 38%
47%
70%
12%
60% 5%
9% 11% 9% 14% 8% 10%
50%
14% 28%
40%
46% 38% 37% 36% 30% 35% 35%
30%
29%
20%
30%
10% 17% 20% 18% 17%
10% 12% 15% 15%
0%
1986 1990 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2004

Figure 11: Region wise break-up of Television Sales

The comparison of the TV market growth rate in the year 2005 with the forecasted growth in
the year 2015 indicates that the 10 million market size in the year 2005 is expected to rise to
20 million units by doubling in unit numbers for the period of ten years. However the CAGR
(%) in 2005 (15%) is expected to fall down to 10% by 2015. An astronomic growth in the
households TV is expected to increase from 58 million in 2005 to 234 million in the year 2015
respectively by a whooping growth rate of 300%.

20
Figure 12 gives a comparative picture of the current television scenario in India and
projections for 2015. (Source Figure 11 & 12: INGRES, NCAER, NRS)

Current (2007) Future (2015)

Market size to double in 20 Million

CTV market size (in 15 Million
the next 10 years
units)

10%
CAGR 22% However, the CAGR would
( %) fall down

Households with TV 58 Million But, the Households with 234 Million

CTVs would grow by a
whopping 300%

Figure 12: Current Television Scenario and projections for 2015

2.1.4.2 TV Ownership Patterns

Currently Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) conventional television is the most commonly owned
television across households in the country. The penetration of CRT Flat television has also
increased in last few years. The brands like LG, BPL, Onida and Samsung are the major
brands owned across different households. The most preferred size for the conventional as
well as Flat TV is 20-21 inches (Bigger screen size is yet to become popular in Indian
households) and about more than 50% of the televisions are purchased in the range of Rs.
10,000 – 15,000. Even though the number of large screen and LCD televisions is increasing
in Indian Market, mostly commonly owned televisions are the 21 inches Flat screen.
Therefore, over the next few years, we will find only conventional CRT TVs in the e-waste
cycle stream.

3.0 DISPOSAL PRACTICES

This section discusses the behavior associated with the disposal of used electronic products
and mainly consists of three Sources (Generators) of e-waste. The three sources which add
to the increased e-waste generation in India are imports, households and institutions
(businesses).

3.1 Reasons of Replacement/ Disposal of PCs

Most of the companies in Southern India are bonded with STPI (Software Technology Park
India), where these companies have to take approval from STPI before disposing off their
computers and other IT products. Thus if a formal recyclers is tied up with bodies like STPI
sourcing of raw materials will become organized with a proper collection system. However
Vice President of an IT renowned Software Development Company in one of the interviews

21
stated that about 250-300 non functional computers are lying in their godowns waiting for
clearance from STPI for its disposal, thus if even they wish to donate their computers they
cannot do it without permission from STPI.

3.2 Import of e-waste

The other major source of e-waste in India other than businesses & households is imports. In
the developed countries, it is expensive to recycle the discarded electronics. Thus the
electronics are exported to developing nations camouflaged as charity or scrap for enhancing
the product useful life. This imported electronics usually have short life or even sometimes it
is unfit for use and ultimately adds to e-waste stream. This trade is flourishing in India
because of presence of cheap labor that can repair and reuse the equipment/components to
extend its useful life. Also the absence of import regulations has made India a favored
destination for dumping of e-waste from developed countries. It is, however, illegal to import
the e-waste because India is a signatory to Basel Convention for Transboundary Movement
of Hazardous Substances. Therefore, electronic products are being imported in a clandestine
fashion. The clandestine manner of importing e-waste makes it difficult to estimate the
quantities of e-waste imported into India. Based on the secondary sources, it is estimated
that around 50,000 metric tonnes of e-waste is being imported to India every year.

3.3 E-waste Recycling Practices

Currently in India, recycling of disposed electronic products is being handled by two

segments namely formal and informal recyclers. It has been estimated during study that
19,000 MT/ year is the total e-waste recycled in India. Of the total e-waste recycled in India
95% is recycled by informal recyclers while only 5% by formal recyclers. This small
proportion handled by formal sector suggests that they lack networking and proper collection
of e-waste. They have large capacities but the absence of legislation in India for collection
and disposal of e-waste paves way for unorganized collection, material segregation and
extraction.

22
3.3.1 Formal e-waste Recyclers

The main objective of the formal recyclers is that all waste electronic and electrical
equipments (WEEE) is collected, stored, dismantled and recycled in an environmentally
sound manner. For complying with these objectives no chemicals, incineration processes and
wet extraction processes are carried out without proper facilities. The formal recyclers also
comply with occupational health and safety norms of the workers so that they are not
exposed to toxic and hazardous elements present in e-waste.

3.3.1.1 Collection Method

Talking about the current scenario, all the formal recyclers are sourcing their raw material
(i.e. used electronic products) from the corporate segment only. Most of these recyclers tie
up with the institutions and sign a contract to pick up their used electronic products after fixed
time periods depending upon the extent of usage and disposal of electronic products by the
organization. Once these tie-ups are done, not only the waste computers are collected, but
all the electronic appliances which pose a threat to the human health and environment are
collected for example waste tube lights, CDs, batteries, cables etc.

3.3.1.2 Geographical Spread

As the presence of formal recyclers is not widespread across the country unlike informal
recyclers, they cannot source this material from households. An organized formal recycler
informed that they cannot source raw material as much as informal sector because they
cannot search every nooks and corner of the country. This suggests that the organized
network of the unorganized sector should be tied up to a formal recycler or a collector, so that
they do not work as competitors to formal sector, instead they utilize their trade chain and
supply dismantled and segregated materials to formal recyclers. This model needs to be
strengthened by the support of government, NGOs and formal recyclers so that the informal
sector is organized as collectors and dismantlers. Figure 13 suggests the processes followed
by formal recyclers in Indi

Collection of Material Sorting out of the

Manual Dismantling
material received
e.g. Glass is taken out
Mainly from Corporate (Glass, Mother boards,
Plastic casings) from CRTs

Recovery* (Smelting)
of precious Metals like Magnetic Processes
Shredding
Eddy Current separation
Copper, Platinum, Processes
Cyclonic separation
Palladium etc.

Figure 13: Process Followed by Formal Recyclers

*In India, there is no facility for Smelting process for the recovery of precious metals from the
residual mixture in an environmentally sound manner. This mixture is sent to Umicore
Refinery, Belgium for the recovery. This quantity of residual mixture is around 5% of the

23
overall quantity recycled by these recyclers. The comparison of three formal recycling is
given in Figure 14.

e-waste management
@ e-Parisara

• Recycling plant located in • Recycling plant located in • Recycling plant located in

MEPZ, Chennai, but offices Navi Mumbai outer skirts of Bangalore
located in other parts of India • Activities: • Only into Recycling
also to provide logistics – Recycling • Source from corporate
solution to its suppliers – Repairing
• Have tied up with a lot of
• Only into Recycling – Refurbishing &
corporate at Bangalore like
Upgrading
• Source from corporate IBM, TATA Elxsi, ABB,
– Sale & Lease
• Have tied up with Canon, HP – Charity / Donation Philips
and planning to tie up with • Has a capacity to recycle 3
• Source from Corporate
more In future MT/ Day
• Avoid using Water also,
• 90% processes are Manual • But handles only 300 to
along with the avoidance of
• Handles 400 – 500 MT/ Year Chemicals 300 MT/ Year

Figure 14: Comparison of Three Formal Recycling Facilities in India

3.3.1.3 Comparison between Formal and Informal Sector

Two main differences between the formal and informal recyclers are as follows:

• All processes occur in closed chambers complying with regulatory norms

• Wet extraction and open burning for recovery of materials is not practiced by formal
recyclers
To support the above mentioned differences an example of CRT handling by the two kinds of
recyclers is considered. The informal recyclers collect the old CRTs and either refurbish in
televisions or dismantle them to recover lead and dispose the left outs (glass, metal laden
dust) in the landfill. Whereas the formal recyclers break the CRTs in closed chambers using
equipments like diamond cutters under vacuum, thus preventing the environment and
workers from exposure to toxic elements like Lead. Informal Recyclers soak PCBs in the acid
bath for recovery of copper, whereas in case of formal recyclers recovery of precious metals
occurs at state of art refineries/smelters. The formal sector workers use gloves and masks to
avoid exposure to hazardous elements in contrast to informal sector workers. The formal
recyclers are regularly monitored and audited by regulatory agencies like State Pollution
Control Board for complying with environmental norms and certification.

24
3.3.1.4 Challenges faced by Formal Recyclers

The overall challenges faced by the formal recyclers can be divided into three parts as
follows:

• Sourcing Stage

The proper disposal of electronic waste is not mentioned in the environmental policies of
most of the organizations, so they are not worried about the method of disposal. The only
concern with these organizations is the value they get in return of their scrap equipments.
Those organizations which had their parent company outside India were somewhat
pressurized about the environmentally friendly disposal of their IT products as their
producers take the responsibility and pay the price for disposal of e-waste. Mostly the
companies ask for money from these recyclers before giving off their end of life products.
Also reaching out to the customers is also a huge investment required by these formal
recyclers. The logistics is to be provided by the recyclers for the material to be collected
and recycled. Thus for covering entire India, presence at 9 locations also is not enough
for these formal recyclers.

• Processing Stage

As there are no smelting units in India, these recyclers are at a loss by sending the
crushed mixture to other countries for the recovery of precious metals in an
environmentally sound manner. The cost of transportation and recovery is very high thus
the formal recyclers claim that they are at economic loss. Trishyiraya, Chennai informed
us that sending one container of mixture to Umicore (Belgium) costs around Rs. Ten Lacs
as service charges. He also informed that in return of the precious metal mixture sent to
refineries (99%-99.5% of metals are recovered) the recyclers, receive only the value
which is decided by the refineries. The infrastructural cost for setting up a state-of-art
smelting facility in India is a huge investment, thus the recyclers will have to continue with
this process till some entrepreneurs sets up precious metal refinery in India.

• Lack of Awareness among users

Along with the absence of legislations, lack of awareness among the consumers both
businesses as well as households is one of the biggest challenge for the formal recyclers.
A huge amount of investments is being done to create awareness and build the
capacities of consumers on e-waste issues and proper disposal. The formal recyclers
arrange for video CDs, advertise on news and other media, arrange collection drives, set
bins for disposal of floppies, CDs, batteries, mobiles etc at prime locations and organize
workshops across India to enhance awareness. An established formal recycler informed
that they spend around 80% of their overall revenue on awareness creation programme.

3.3.2 Geographical Spread of Informal Recycling in India: Mumbai

Mumbai acts as a main contributor and generator of WEEE because of huge commercial and
financial activities. The regions where WEEE is handled in and around Mumbai are: Kurla,
Saki Naka, Kamthipura-Grant Road, Jogeshwari and Malad. Mumbai & Chennai are top
importers of junk computers and electronic waste in India because of presence of ports.
Based on the field work done in Mumbai, it is observed that none of the informal recycler
agrees that they are importing e-waste or have a second hand market of e-waste. They claim
25
that they are only repairing the non-functional electronics and providing functional goods to
consumers after its repair. A local newsletter in Mumbai called Computimes provides
information on imports in the form of advertisements entitled imported computers for sale. It
was found that traders from Delhi purchase PCBs on per kg basis from Mumbai, Kolkata and
Bangalore. A comparison of the methods adopted by informal recyclers for e-waste
collection, dismantling and disposal in Delhi and Mumbai is given in Table 6.

4.0 ELECTRONIC WASTE ESTIMATES

4.1 Method of Estimation

Most of the used electronic products are either relocated or given to relatives/ friends for
further use or because of lack of proper collection systems, households and institutions are
not sure of the actions to be taken with their old computers or televisions, so they store these
products inside their warehouses/ store rooms for a long period of time. Even when the
products are sold or exchanged, a lot of refurbishments and reselling happens and only
some part is recycled. As the unorganized recycling involves a lot of legal and jurisdiction
issues, the unorganized players are not at all open to any kind of research or study on this
subject. Therefore, for accuracy and better understanding of the e-waste production in India,
a Funnel Approach has been developed as shown in Figure 15.

Level 1
Potential Annual E-waste
Typically products at the end of active life which either get
stacked inside warehouses/ store rooms, not sold by
consumers because of inappropriate resale value, getting
used for lower level application, etc.

Level 2
E-waste Available for Recycling
Typically products that have been exchanged/ sold/ donated by
their owners. A chunk of these products get refurbished, are re-
used or relocated to smaller towns or villages

Level 3 E-waste Recycled

e-Waste which is actually recycled (including the formal &
Informal recycling). Typically includes the broken down parts
and components

Figure 15: Funnel Approach for e-waste estimation

Level 1: Estimation of Potential Annual e-waste

Quantity at this level was calculated by applying Input and Obsolescence method to all the
three products. Table 7 briefly describes the steps followed for the calculation of potential
annual e-waste

Level 2: Estimation of e-waste Available for Recycling

In case of computers, quantity at this level was calculated by using the replacement
percentage derived from ITOPs. ITOP does an extensive survey across businesses and
households to understand the replacement behavior. The total number of computers
disposed by households and businesses was used to calculate the replacement percentage

26
and quantity of e-waste available for recycling. In case of Televisions & Mobile phones,
quantity at this level was derived on the basis of inputs from expert interviews and channel
member insights. This was also validated through the primary survey done in Delhi. Channel
members of informal e-waste trade were interviewed to understand from them the break-up
of the material received by them in terms of what quantity is actually recycled and what is
given in second hand or refurbished market. The data presented in Table 8 and 9 gives
ITOPs data on computer market size of business segment and households. On the basis of
ITOPs data, the estimates were made on e-waste from computers, as given in Table 10 & 11.
The overall e-waste from Desktops and Notebooks and projections till 2011 is given in Table
12-14. The data on television market size provided by CEAMA is given in Table 15 and
mobile phone market size by TRAI is given in Table 16. The e-waste generated from mobile
phone replacements is given in Table 17 & Table 18 and e-waste from televisions is given in
Table 19. The region wise e-waste generated in the year 2007 is given in Table 20.

Level 3: Estimation of e-waste Recycled

This quantity was derived on the basis of interviews with formal recyclers, informal recyclers
and experts.

4.2 Domestic e-waste generated from Computers (2007)

Level 1
Computers Potential Annual e-Waste: 56324 MT
• Desktops: 55795 (99%)
• Notebooks: 529 (1%)

Level 2
e-Waste available for Recycling: 24000 MT

Level 3
e-Waste Recycled: 12000 MT

Figure 16: e-waste generated from Computers in the year 2007

27
As Desktops contribute 99% to the overall e-waste generated, the detailed profile of waste
generated from Desktops is presented the Figure 17.

Base: 55795 MT

Households
Businesses 16%
84%

Factory Base: 46835MT

Base: 8960 MT
Outlets 3% Govt
8% 1% Profile of the e-Waste:
Desktops
2007
SEC A
SEC B
61%
39%

Offices
88%

Figure 17: Profile of e-waste from Desktops in 2007

The Figure 18 represents the forecasts of potential annual e-waste from desktops over the
next five years:

HH Establishment Overall
139000 131678

119000 109919 131678

99000 109919
86362

79000 70707 86362

55795 70707
59000

55795
39000
28319
25006
20566
19000 13003
8960

-1000
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Figure 18: Forecasts of Potential Annual e-waste from Desktops (in MT)

The profile of e-waste forecast (Figure 19) suggests that in the coming years, all the actions
related to e-waste management should focus on offices of service organizations as they are
the maximum generators of e-waste

28
 Factory Offices Outlets Govt
1% 1% In MT
100%
9% 8% 7%
90% 13%

80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
87% 87% 90%
30% 82%

20%
10%
4% 5% 4% 2%
0%
2008 2009 2010 2011

57,704 65, 795 84, 914 10,3359

Figure 19: Forecasts of Desktops e-waste from Businesses (in MT)

4.3 Domestic e-waste generated from Televisions

Level 1
Televisions Potential Annual e-Waste: 275000 MT
• Color TVs: 125000 MT
• Black & White TVs: 150000 MT

Level 2
e-Waste available for Recycling: 70000 MT

Level 3
e-Waste Recycled: 7000 MT
Figure 20: e-waste from Televisions: Year 2007
It was found that in case of televisions; a lot of relocation happens to the nearby villages,
towns and cities, resulting into repeated cycles of reuse. As a result, there is a huge gap
between the potential e-waste generated and the e-waste actually recycled.

29
 Color Black & White Overall

250000
231250

328750
311250 200000
200000
168750
312500
150000 147500
150000 142500
132500
125000
112500
97500
100000
280000
275000

50000

0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Figure 21: Forecasts of Potential Annual e-waste from Televisions for next five years (in MT)

Figure 21 indicates that till 2010 maximum amount of Televisions entering e-waste stream
would be Black & White televisions.

4.4 Domestic e-waste generated from Mobile Phones

Level 1
Mobiles Potential Annual e-Waste: 1655 MT
•All Metros: 296 MT
•A Circle: 579 MT
•B Circle: 573 MT
•C Circle: 207 MT

Level 2
e-Waste available for Recycling: 143 MT

Level 3
e-Waste Recycled: Negligible

Figure 22: e-waste from Mobile Phones: Year 2007

It was found that in Case of Mobile phones, almost all the components of a handset gets
reused by repairs and refurbishments, leading to negligible quantities reaching landfill or
recycling stage. Major reason for the reuse of mobile phone components is as high as 34%
duty on imports of components. There is a huge growth in number of mobile phones entering
the e-waste stream from 2008 to 2010 as shown in Figure 23.

30
 All Quantities in MT
8000

7000 6670
6396
6000

5000

3962
4000

3000

2000 1655
1138
1000

0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Figure 23: Forecasts of Potential annual e-waste from Mobile Phones

4.5 Total e-waste generated (Computers, Mobiles, Televisions & Imports)

Level 1 Potential Annual e-waste: 3,82,979 MT

• Imports: 50,000 MT
• Computers: 56,324 MT
• Mobile Phones: 1,655 MT
• Televisions: 2,75,000 MT

Total e-waste available for Recycling: 1,44,143 MT

Level 2
• Imports: 50,000 MT
• Computers: 24,000 MT
• Mobiles: 143 MT
• Televisions: 70,000 MT

Level 3 e-waste Recycled: 19,000

• Computers: 12,000 MT
• Televisions: 7,000 MT

Figure 24: Total e-waste generated in India in 2007

31
CHAPTER 2 DELHI E-WASTE ASSESSMENT REPORT

1. INTRODUCTION

In the past few years, technology advances in electronics have boosted the economic
development and improved the general lifestyle of the common man. The rapid consumption,
and obsolescence, of electrical and electronic equipments has resulted in a newly identified
waste stream known as Waste from Electronics and Electronic Equipments (WEEE). WEEE
comprises of end of life computers, laptops, mobiles, television, washing machines, personal
stereos, telecommunication equipments, instruments, toys and medical devices etc. The
electronic waste is classified as hazardous wastes as it contains many toxic ingredients
including halogenated compounds and heavy metals with the potential of polluting the
environment and damaging human health, if not processed, recycled or disposed-off
properly.
Delhi, the capital city of India, is also one of the major regional hubs for e-waste recycling.
Several studies, since 2004 have depicted Delhi as the hub of informal recycling of e-waste
for reuse, extraction and recovery of precious metals. The sources of e-waste in Delhi are
individual consumers, MNCs, public and private enterprises, manufacturing defects and
imports. The e-waste imported into Mumbai and Chennai ports also makes its way into the
Delhi and NCR region. It is predicted that Delhi employs 25,000 workers in scrap yards which
handle 10,000-20,000 tonnes of e-waste annually. 25% of the electronic wastes generated
are from computers.
Delhi rapid assessment focuses on quantification of e-waste generated in the Delhi NCR,
understanding material flow and trade chain in Delhi, processes of recycling and disposal
covering informal sector, environmental impact of e-waste recycling and to assess the
capacities of existing stakeholders.

1.1 Objectives

The objectives of the WEEE Rapid Assessment Study, Delhi are as follows:
• To develop a sound methodology to estimate the volume of WEEE produced in Delhi
(limited to Computers, Television and Mobile Phone categories)
• To understand the disposal behavior and drivers of users (households and
businesses) of electronic equipment
• To identify various stakeholders in the e-waste value-chain in the city of Delhi.
• To assess the capacities of existing recyclers (both formal and informal)

32
2. METHODOLOGY

To address the specified objectives, it was essential to understand and establish the e-waste
trade chain by identifying roles of each stakeholder in the trade economics. This study was
based on field visits and collection of primary data at various locations of Delhi and supported
by secondary research and data. The tools used for the study were structured discussions
guides, open ended questions and informal questions and discussions. The interviews and
discussions were structured to collect the quantitative data and to understand the mindset of
different stakeholders in terms of trade economics, disposal practices and reasons,
expectations from formal recyclers, traders, collecting agency and government, growth rates
and general awareness on the hazards posed by e-waste. The various categories of
stakeholders met are broadly classified into four categories:
• End Users: including households and institutions
• Channel Members: Scrap collectors, scrap aggregators, scrap resellers in Delhi
• Suppliers & Experts: Industrial Associations like MAIT, CEAMA, ELCINA, TEMA,
Industries like HCL, ICA, NGOs working on the issue like Toxics Link
• Formal Recyclers: In Bangalore, Mumbai & Chennai

2.1 End Users

The end-users were met in Delhi and NCR region to understand the disposal patterns of
electronic equipment. The respondents met in this segment can be divided into two broad
segments:
• Households
• Businesses

In case of households, interviews were done on the basis of two criteria:

• Socio-Economic Classification (SEC): The respondents were segregated in SEC A,
SEC B and SEC C households. The SEC is done on the basis of education and
occupation of the chief wage earner of the households.

• Disposal Rate: The second criteria for selecting the households were those which
have disposed of either a computer, television or a mobile phone in the past two
years. The households complying with this criterion were mainly questioned about the
age of the products disposed by them, reasons and considerations related to the
disposal and the method adopted for disposal.

In the case of Businesses (Institutional users) mainly service organizations were met in and
around Delhi. The selection criterion was the same as that of the households i.e. must have
disposed of at least one computer, mobile phone or television in the past two years. After
identification of the organization they were asked about their IT ownership and disposal
behavior, typical growth rate and replacement rates in the installed base of PCs each year.
The Institutional End Users were also asked about their expectations from the formal
recyclers in terms of monetary and other services like logistics, timely pick-up of the waste
etc. Both the end user segments were also questioned to judge their level of awareness and
knowledge about e-Waste problem. The same was explained to all the end users.

33
Detaiiled Profile
e of the end users met in the surveyy (Represe
entative Sa
ample)
Base
e 413
Televisions
27% Computerss
44%
Respo
ondents in va
arious User se
egments

Househo
olds

SEC
CA 149
Mobile
Handsets
SEC
CB 158 29%

SEC
CC 90 Figu
ure 25: Detailled profile of the
t End Userrs

Tota
al 397

Profile
e of Househo
olds by Type of
o Product Dissposed

Busine
esses Busiinesses
Smalll (11 to 50 Employees
E s) 98
Man
nufacturing 55
Mediu
um (50 to 500
5 Employyees) 59
Serrvices 148 Large
e (500+ Em
mployees) 46
Total 203
Tota
al 203

2.2 Channel
C Mem
mbers

The Key Channel Memberss (aggregato ors, segrega ators and re ecyclers) off the unorga anized
trade
e at various levels of traade chain were
w met in and around d Delhi. Thee interviewss were
conducted with thet channel members present
p in Turkman
T Gaate, Shastri Park, Jamru udpur,
Nehru Place, See elampur andd Mayapuri. The major objective
o of the
t in-depth interviews wasw to
identify the geoggraphical pre
esence of th hese informmal trade cha annel memb bers across Delhi
region. Once the e important areas
a were identified, th
he unstructu ured, informa al questionss were
administered to the
t memberss present in these areass. The main objectives of o the discusssions
were to understa and the dynnamics relatted to procu urement/sou urcing of raw w material, value
gaine
ed or lost att each stagee of the proocess, scope e of work off different channel
c mem mbers,
method of proces ssing, marke
eting and business opera ations.
It wa
as observed d that majorrity of the respondents
r in this seggment were apprehenssive of
sharing any kind of informatiion related to their businness. The diiscussions were
w kept infformal
to gain confidencce and extract detailed in
nformation. The
T workerss were relucttant to talk in nitially
as th
hey claimed that the passt visitors and studies have
h portrayyed them ass illegal opeerators
with crude
c enviro
onmentally hazardous
h processes. The workers were more forthcoming
f when
the owners of thee units were not around.

2.3 Formal
F Recy
yclers

As thhere was noo formal recyclers in No

orthern Region especially Delhi and
d NCR regio
on, the
intervviews were conducted
c in
n Bangalore,, Chennai an
nd Mumbai for
f formal recyclers.
34
2.4 Experts

The Experts and Manufacturers were met to understand the trends & market of computers,
mobiles and televisions. The in depth interviews were structured to understand the average
age, current and past trends of market size, expected quantity of e-Waste produced from
these three products and immediate steps to be taken by the industry to address the e-waste
issues. The stakeholders met were as follows:

• Manufacturer’s Association of Information Technology (MAIT) represents actively

Hardware, Training, Design/R&D and the associated services sectors of the Indian IT
Industry. MAIT’s charter is to develop a globally competitive Indian IT Industry,
promote the usage of IT in India, strengthen the role of IT in national economic
development and promote business through international alliances. MAIT is
represented on all concerned Government of India forums and works in close
association with the Department of IT, Ministry of Communications & IT, Ministry of
Commerce & Industry, DGFT, Ministry of Finance, BIS, ESC, NIC, STQC, CII, TEMA,
ELCINA, CETMA, etc. for the advancement of the IT Industry in India. MAIT
recognises the importance of Information Technology Industry growing with sound
business relations with the rest of the world, exchanges industry data, published
reports and newsletters and encourages cross attending of annual events as a part of
its effort to promote international understanding.

• ELCINA Electronic Industries Association of India (Formerly Electronic

Component Industries Association) is committed to the promotion of electronics
manufacturing culture in the country focusing on components - the building blocks of
electronics industry. Apart from the basic objective of promoting hardware
manufacturing through active representation and advice to the Government, ELCINA
has been networking with national and international technical institutions and
business promotion bodies to further the interests of its members. Today, in an
increasingly liberalised environment, there is greater focus on professional and value-
added services rendered by the Association to the Electronics and IT Community.
ELCINA has widened its horizons and broadened its activities to include the
development of entire Electronics and IT Hardware, including components &
assemblies, consumer electronics, telecom, IT, industrial/professional, defence /
strategic electronics and other emerging areas like medical and automobile
electronics, embedded systems and hardware design.

• Telecom Equipment Manufacturer’s Association of India (TEMA): TEMA covers

more than 90 percent of telecom equipment manufacturers as well as components
and cables manufacturers, cellular and paging service operators and a large number
of public and private sector units as well as many multinational companies. TEMA is
affiliated to leading international telecom industry associations. Quite often, some
Government decisions relating to Indian telecom industry are channelized through
TEMA which also plays an important role in proposing the names of technical experts
from the Industry to various telecom committees of the Government, and industry
35
 associations, namely, CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM and PHD. TEMA plays an active role
in dissemination and exchange of information from the Government, foreign agencies,
embassies, trade missions, Indian missions abroad and leading international trade
associations. TEMA also closely interacts and exchanges information of mutual
interest with international organizations like ITU, PTC, AEU, TIA (USA), TIA (Korea),
and ATIA (Australia) and GAIA (Spain).

• NGOs like Toxics Link: Toxics Link emerged from a need to establish a mechanism
for disseminating credible information about toxics in India, and for raising the level of
the debate on these issues. The goal was to develop an information exchange and
support organization that would use research and advocacy in strengthening
campaigns against toxic pollution, help push industries towards cleaner production,
and link groups working on toxics and waste issues. Toxics Link is the pioneer
organization to bring forth the issue of e-waste and imports in India in the year 2002.

• Indian Cellular Association (ICA): ICA is the apex body of the mobile industry
comprising manufacturers, brand owners, application and solution providers,
distributors, retailers and eminent consumers of mobile handsets. The Association
has been constituted to provide value and service to the mobile cellular industry in
India by fuelling its growth, improving competitiveness, helping create a legal and
ethical market and regulatory environment, thereby providing long-term benefits of
mobile connectivity to the Indian masses.

• Industries like HCL: HCL is a leading global Technology and IT Enterprise with
annual revenues of US$ 4.9 billion. The HCL Enterprise comprises two companies
listed in India, HCL Technologies (www.hcltech.com) and HCL Infosystems
(www.hclinfosystems.in). Its range of offerings span R&D and Technology Services,
Enterprise and Applications Consulting, Remote Infrastructure Management, BPO
services, IT Hardware, Systems Integration and Distribution of Technology and
Telecom products in India.

3. DISPOSAL PRACTICES

The section discusses the behavior associated with the disposal of used electronic products
and mainly consists of three Sources (Generators) of e-waste. The interviews and
discussions were molded to figure out the reasons of disposal and awareness on the toxicity
associated with e-waste. The reasons for disposal were quite important to know as it would
help in structuring policies and institutionalizing the framework of implementation. The three
sources which add to the increased e-Waste generation in India are imports, households and
institutions (businesses).

3.1 IT Ownership & Disposal Behavior: Businesses

Almost 94% of the organizations do not have any policies for disposal of IT products. A minor
proportion, i.e. 6%, of the business segments from the base of 203 have IT policies for
disposal of end of life electronic and electrical appliances. Therefore it is important to
36
understand the reasons for no policies in the organizations on the disposal of IT products;
this might be due to a lack of awareness on dumping of e-Waste in municipal waste stream
or a lack of e-waste specific regulatory regime for management of end of life IT products.

• Annual percentage replacement

Most of the organizations are replacing less than 10% of the computers each year. In
case of Manufacturing organizations, none of the organization met replaces annually
more than 40% of their PC installed base. Whereas in case of services organizations,
almost 10% of them replace more than 40% of their PCs annually (Table 21-23).

• Reasons of Replacement/ Disposal of PCs

In case of Businesses nearly 40% of the organizations replace their IT products

because of incompatibility with latest technology so this is the most important factor
for the replacement of Computers (Table 24). Other than the quantitative survey done
across 203 organizations in Delhi, a qualitative study was also done across India to
understand the disposal practices of service organizations. In these qualitative in-
depth interviews were conducted mainly for target respondent segment that is IT and
ITES sector organizations like Polaris, Sutherland BPO, Slash support, Trident etc.
The results indicate that 30% of the organizations replace computers due to technical
problems and 17% organizations try to keep up and match with the latest trends.
About 8% of the organizations replace products due to higher affordability at lower
price and only a minor proportion i.e. 2% of the organizations dispose off as per the IT
guidelines. Based on the qualitative insights of IT Managers of service organizations,
the major reasons for replacement are incompatibility with latest software, economical
to purchase a new computer rather than upgrading a three year old PC and the
depreciation value becomes nil at the end of 5 years so they replace with a new PC.

3.2 Methods of Disposal of used PCs

80% of the replaced computers directly enter the e-waste stream either through scrap
dealers or through second hand markets and exchange or buy back schemes (Table 25).
This implies that the first step of managing e-waste is to come up with a proper collection
system involving the intermediaries of second hand market (e.g. retailers at Nehru place) and
take actions towards the environmentally friendly disposal of electronic products.

3.3 Considerations while disposal of old PCs

Almost 60% of the business organizations look for best monetary offers while disposing off
their old computers from the survey conducted for 203 organizations. At the same time 33%
of the business organizations look for convenience as the most important factor to get rid off
their used PCs (Table 26). Therefore, while planning the e-waste collection and
management system, it is important that recyclers pay a fair price to the suppliers for the e-
waste collected as well as for other services like logistics and timely pick-ups.

37
3.4 Awareness & Knowledge among Businesses on e-waste management

The in-depth interviews with the businesses indicates that 78% of the organizations have
brief understanding about e-waste generation but lack knowledge on the environmentally
sound disposal of end of life IT equipments (Table 26). This lack of knowledge corroborates
the figure on the lack of proper disposal of end of life equipment as 94% of the organizations
do not have any policies which assign the responsibilities to the producers for the e-waste
generated by them.
Good
Don't know understanding
7% 15%

Only brief
understanding Some
of problem understanding
40% 38%

Figure 26: Level of Awareness & Knowledge about the e-waste problem

3.5 Exposure to e-waste Concept for Understanding the Attitudes

The respondents were interviewed about their awareness and level of knowledge about e-
waste and its hazardous effects. The Concept Card, below, was used to understand their
level of exposure to the actual e-waste problem:

38
Box 1 Concept Card signifying electronic waste generation, collection and recycling

ELECTRONIC WASTE GENERATION

The fast rate of technological change has lead to the rapid obsolescence of electronic gadgets–generating
electronic waste in the process that gets added to the waste stream.

ELECTRONIC WASTE COLLECTION

The Electronic waste so generated finds its way to a group of informal recyclers through various scrap
collectors and electronic product dealers.

ELECTRONIC WASTE RECYCLING

The informal recyclers then disaggregate the electronic waste into smaller parts and components and
further recycle those parts to obtain final material like plastic, glass, metals etc.

HEALTH & ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF ELECTRONIC RECYCLING

The highly toxic chemicals found in the different components of computer parts can contaminate soil,
groundwater and air, as well as affect the workers of the unit and the community living around it.
Research has shown that some steps of the recycling chain, especially related to material recovery, are
highly dangerous and risky. Hence, it is imperative that the general population should hand-over electronic
t t th h l it ith l t i t t th i t

Followed by this exposure to the concept to e-waste, the respondents were

requested to share their views on the following statements:

• They will take additional pains to dispose the electronic waste in an environmentally
sound manner
• They are ready to accept a lower price for their old computer if it is disposed in an
eco-friendly way
• They are not worried about the method of disposal but they should get the best price
in exchange of their old products
• They should have convenience in waste disposal no matter whatever process is
adopted for its management

The disposal considerations were opposite to the considerations before the concept of e-
waste was explained to the respondents. Those 66 organizations who said that
“Convenience” is the most important factor while disposing of e-waste, agreed to take
additional pains to make sure that the used electronic products are disposed off in an
environmental friendly manner (Figure 27).
39
 120%
3%
100%

80%
29%
64%
60%

40%
68%
20% 30%

0% 6%

Shall take additional pains to dispose off Should be convenient for us to dispose,
used electronic products no matter what is the method of
Disposal

Figure 27: Reaction After exposure to the e-waste concept: Additional pains

Those respondents who had Best Price & Best Exchange offers as the most important
considerations, are now ready to accept a lower price if the products are disposed off safely
(Figure 28).

120%

100%

80% 45% 44%

60%

40%
52% 49%
20%

3% 7%
0%
Most Important: Want Best Price (65) Most Imporatnt: Want Best Exchange Offer (57)

Strongly Disagree Somewhat Disagree NAND Somewhat Agree Strongly Agree

Figure 28: Reaction After Exposure to the e-waste concept: Lower price

3.6 Expectation of Businesses from Organized Recyclers

Approximately 22% of the organizations prefer logistics followed by 19% organizations

expecting better price and prompt payments (Table 27). 15% of the organizations demand for
wide geographic coverage and timely pick up from the formal recyclers or collecting
agencies. In terms of most important services expected from the formal recyclers 34% of the
organizations recognize that logistics is the most preferred service followed by best exchange
price.

40
4. DISPOSAL BEHAVIOUR: HOUSEHOLDS

The households were surveyed in and around Delhi for understanding the reasons and age
of replacement, methods and considerations for disposal, general awareness on electronic
products related hazards and proper disposal mechanism.

4.1 Reasons and Age of Replacement

Identifying the reasons and age of replacement of the electronic products at the household
level forms a very important component as they also contribute towards the increasing
obsolescence rates and e-waste generation rates.

• Computers

The in-depth interviews for the base of 432 households suggests that average age of
disposed computers is 4.3 years (Table 28). The most common reason for replacing
computers is technical failure as 28% respondents prefer to purchase a new
computer rather than upgrading or repairing an old PC. The other reasons for
changing PCs is obsolete technology (25%), latest trends (16%) and better
technology at affordable price (14%). Almost one fourth of the computers are replaced
to keep up with the latest trends and aesthetics.

• Televisions

The results indicate that televisions are more likely disposed off by the people in case
of technological failures as they prefer to exchange with a new one rather than
repairing non-functional equipment (39%) (Table 29). The other driving forces for
television replacement are to match with latest trends and technology (26%) and
upgraded features (19%). The average age of television disposal is 7.2 years. Peer
pressure plays a more important role in the replacements of televisions (10%) as
compared to computer replacement (2%).

• Mobile Phones

The base of 191 households was surveyed for mobile phone disposal. The average
age of mobile phone is 2.2 years which is the least in comparison to television and
computers (Table 30). The reasons for disposing mobiles are technological problem
(39%), latest trends (30%) and upgraded features (14%).

4.2 Methods of Disposal

The in-depth interviews conducted for the households also suggest the methods adopted for
the disposal of end of life electronic equipments as given in Table 31. The most common
method adopted for computers, mobiles and television disposal is passing on to a relative,
neighbour or friend. This trend is mostly practiced for computer disposal (77%) followed by
mobiles (65%). The TVs and computer are not directly disposed in waste bins. About 25% of
the electronic products that enter the e-waste market are through second hand/scrap market
or through exchange schemes.

41
4.3 Considerations for Disposal

The results indicate that 33% of the Indian households expect best price in exchange of their
electronic appliances followed by convenience of disposal (29%) while only 2% are
concerned for environmentally sound disposal (Figure 29).
33%

Most Important Consideration

35% 29% 60%
Factors Considered

30% 50%
25% 54% 21% 40%
20% 15% 30%
15%
20%
10% 26%
5% 2% 10%
0% 11% 0%
7%
2%

Convenience

Environmentally
Want Best Exchange

Credibility of the
Want Best Price

friendly manner
Disposal in
Buyer
offer

Considerations while Disposal (1071) Most Important Consideration (413)

Figure 29: Considerations while disposing off used electronic products

4.4 Awareness about e-waste issues

The interviews indicate that 32% of the households are almost unaware of the e-waste and
its proper disposal while 58% have some awareness about the issues. Thus it is important to
build the capacity of the household sector on the
repercussions of improper e-waste disposal and Good
Do not know
extending the useful life of the electronics by Understanding
11%
10%
repair and refurbishing of electronics.
Only a brief
Some
21%
understanding
58%

Figure 30: Level of Knowledge among All

Households

4.5 Considerations while Disposal after

Exposure to e-waste Concept Card

As in the case of businesses, the same concept

card was administered to the households as a tool to raise awareness of the interviewed
households. Approximately 85% of the respondents who sought convenience in disposing off
their used electronic products were now ready to take additional pains to make sure that their
old electronic products are disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. About half of
the respondents who wanted best price for their old products were now ready to accept a
lower price if the waste is disposed of properly.

42
 70%
64%
60%
53%
50%
41%
40%
32%
30%

20%

10% 6%
3% 1%
0%
Shall take additional pain to Dispose off (106) Ready to accept a lower price (224)

Strongly Agree Somewhat Agree NAND Somewhat Disagree Strongly Disagree

Figure 31: After exposure to e-waste concept, level of agreement to take additional pains and accept
lower price

5. ELECTRONIC WASTE RECYCLING PRACTICES

Currently in India, recycling of disposed electronic products is being handled by two

segments, namely, the formal and the informal recyclers. It has been estimated during the
study that approximately 19,000 MT/ year is the total e-waste recycled in India. Of the total
e-waste recycled in India, 95% is recycled by the informal recyclers while only 5% is recycled
by the formal recyclers. This small proportion handled by formal sector suggests that they
lack networking and proper collection of e-waste. They have large capacities but the absence
of legislation in India for collection and disposal of e-waste has meant that these players do
not have the necessary mandate for proper collection and face competition in the entire
supply chain from the informal sector.

5.1 Informal Recyclers

The informal sector comprises of unstructured small scale enterprises with meager financial
outlays.

• Reason for Existence

There are various processes involved in recycling and re-use of the electronic waste. India is
a significant producer of e-Waste, due to the growth of the IT industry in past five years,
technology becoming obsolete at faster rates, higher affordability of electronics, changing life
styles at a rampant pace, high purchasing power and availability of promotional events like
exchange schemes. At the same time, there has hardly been any development of recycling
infrastructure in the formal sector in India over the last five years. Further, since it is relatively
expensive to recycle the discarded electronic items they are illegally exported to developing
nations masked as charity and donation or scrap. The availability of cheap labor along with
the lax implementation of regulations has made India a destination of import of electronic
waste from developed countries.
The frequent visits to the informal recyclers in and around Delhi established that thousands
of people are thriving on this recycling business for years. In most cases all the family
members i.e. elders, kids, women are engaged in these homegrown, backyard industries.
The workers were hostile, to talk and discuss, about the e-waste issue as they believed that
they were not polluting the environment by just dismantling and segregating the components.
They accept the fact that open burning of wires or wet extraction chemical processes are not
safe for environment and it is done mostly in Mandoli and Krishna Vihar in UP-Loni border.
The places visited like Shastri Park, Seelampur and Turkman gate are clustered residential
43
areas. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi had recently conducted sealing drives for industrial
operations or commercial activities in residential areas. Thus the recyclers in these areas
have suffered a setback in their business operations. This was also a major reason for the
hostility of the workers in these areas. They also informed that earlier many institutions,
NGOs and individuals have visited them to understand their operations. They believe that
this has resulted in further economic losses to their business as these reports were published
in newspapers, reports and magazines. The resulting strict government vigil and ultimately,
the sealing drives lead to the closure of many units.

There is a huge untapped potential in the recycling Industry, as only a minor proportion of it is
being handled by organized sector. However, due to the lax implementation of regulations
and low start up costs, the barriers to entry in the business are relatively small. As a result a
large number of families are surviving on this business. An informal recycler in Shastri Park
informed that in Delhi alone thousands of families are engaged in this business and mostly all
the family members work on e-waste.

• Informal Recyclers: e-waste Trade Value Chain

The e-waste trade value chain can be divided into four broad steps with following
stakeholders and activities at each step as shown in Figure 32.

Households Businesses

Generation CONSUMPTION

Aggregators (Scrapped Equipment Collectors)

Stockpiling & Collection
PURCHASE AND RESALE

Segregators
Handling & Brokering
MANUAL DISMANTLING

Recyclers/Smelters
Processing REFINING AND CONDITIONING

e Waste Distributors of recovered materials

Imports

Figure 32: E-waste Trade Chain

44
Step 1: Sourcing By Informal Recyclers

Businesses
•Auctions by Government
organizations Informal Scrap
•Directly sold as scrap Collectors
•Through exchange schemes

Households
•Households sell to second hand markets or
dealers in exchange schemes
•Reaches informal via these second hand
markets

Most of the Auctions held by

government organizations are done
along with other scrap of the office like
furniture etc. Whosoever wants to buy
the computers, buys the whole lot and
resells rest of the unwanted stuff to the
concerned scrap collectors

Step 2: Aggregation

The actual e-waste trade begins when the old computers, televisions and mobile phones
reach the scrap collector. The recyclers informed that an old computer maybe purchased
between Rs. 200 (non working box) to Rs 2000 (working condition). The scrap collector then
checks the material received and sorts the material into three parts as material which can be
resold in second hand market, repaired/ refurbished and resold and what is to be sent for
recycling. Typically 80% of the material entering this trade can be repaired, refurbished and
resold and only 20% of the electronic products are recycled.

Step 3: Segregation & Dismantling

The in-depth interviews with the informal sector helped us in understanding and scaling the
economics of their business (Figure 33). The products which cannot be resold “as it is” are
dismantled either by the scrap collector himself or he sells it to a dismantler. Once the
products are dismantled, the components are again checked if any constituent can be
reused. A PCB in working condition is sold at the rate of Rs. 1000 to Rs. 1200 per piece
whereas a non working PCBs at the rate of Rs. 70–80 per kg. The monitors are sold at the
rate of Rs. 300/piece and hard disks at rate of Rs. 100/piece. The rest of the parts like plastic
casings and glass are sold at a very cheap rates e.g. Plastic at Rs. 12-15/kg, Chips at Rs.
300/kg (for copper extraction).

45
 Monitor
Dismantling & Segregation
PCB

Cable

mputer into components

Figure 33: Dismantling of Computer into components

Step 4: Recycling

The final step after aggregation, segregation and dismantling of the waste electronic products
is recycling. The CRT which cannot be re-gunned is broken down for glass extraction. The
job work is well designed in the informal supply chain as the person who is engaged in
dismantling will perform only dismantling and disintegration and will supply the components
to recycler for extraction of precious metals. The dismantlers informed that for the gold pin
extraction the de-soldered wire boards are sent to Meerut, UP. The final materials obtained at
the end of recycling are further sent for conditioning, for e.g. the glass obtained from breaking
CRTs is sent to Firozabad, UP for bangle making or other products.

5.2 Geographical Spread of Informal Recycling in Delhi

Delhi, is a hub of informal recycling of e-waste. The workers in Delhi are illiterate and
unemployed youth, children and women who have migrated from the neighboring states of
Uttar Pradesh & Bihar. The major dismantling and recycling sites are Seelampur, Shastri
Park, Turkman Gate, Mayapuri, Mandoli and Krishna Vihar. The e-waste imported into
Mumbai and Chennai mostly makes its way to Delhi as there is a ready market for glass and
plastic in the NCR. The important centers of e-waste trading in Delhi are given in Figure 34.

A substantial part of Mumbai’s WEEE,

"Delhi alone gets around 70% of the both imported and locally generated,
electronic waste generated in the is sent to recycling markets located in
developed world in terms of total other parts of the country.
Generated internally or brought from The National Capital Region of Delhi
outside for recycling,” is a preferred recycling destination
Source: 2 Aug, 2006 TIMES NEWS NETWORK
for printed circuit boards (PCBs).
Source: Toxics Link, Mumbai e-Waste Report, Feb 2007

46
 PURCHASE AND RESALE MANUAL DISMANTLING REFINING AND CONDITIONING

•Nehru Place (Computers & •Nehru Place Basements (Computers) •Seelampur estate
Mobile Phones) •Jumrudpur (Computer and computer •Mundaka (Near Punjabi Bagh)
•Ghaffar Market (Mobile peripherals) •Mandoli
Phones) •Shastri Park (Computers, Televisions) •Nearby towns like Meerut,
•Lajpat Rai Market •Turkman Gate (Televisions, Gaziabad, Ferozabad, Hapur
(Televisions) Refrigerators, Computers, Washing
machines, Air conditioners)
•Mustafabad (scrap segregators for
computers)
•Dharampura, K Block (Near old
Seelampur)

Figure 34: Electronic waste recycling areas in Delhi and NCR with specific functions

5.2.1 Profile of major dismantling & recycling areas of Delhi

• Nehru Place

Nehru Place is the hub for the dealers interested in purchasing, repairing or selling
off their old and used electronic products, mainly computers and peripherals. The
imported e-Waste is first in the notice of dealers and scrap collectors of Nehru place.
The trucks of used computers are sent to nearby states like UP and Haryana for
further use as second hand products. Other than the sale and purchase of old
computers (ground level and first floor), some of the individuals are also involved in
dismantling and repair activities (basement). Once the computers are dismantled,
those parts which cannot be repaired and re-sold are sold to scrap dealers on a per
day basis. The components and parts which can be repaired are sold to the end
users. There will be around 25 to 30 establishments in Nehru Place involved in sale-
purchase and repair of used electronic products, on an average employing 2 adults
(between the age of 18 to 30) per establishment. Around 8 to 10 establishments are
involved only in dismantling and repair and employ on an average 3 adults per
establishment. Other than sale/ purchase, dismantling, repairing and reselling the
other major activity occurring is the re-gunning of CRTs.

• Turkman Gate

Turkman Gate, today is famous for trading of old electronic products and computer
and television disassembly. The traders met in this area informed about the
procurement of material through auctions of obsolete office equipments. They even
demonstrated newspaper clippings with the advertisements of auctions of office
equipments. They claimed that the auctions were not much profitable as they had to
purchase all of the equipments, including old furniture and other plastic wastes. The
material procured is then segregated for reuse and disassembly of components. The
dismantling and re-selling occurs in small shops for sourcing the material to Shastri
Park, Seelampur and Mandoli.

47
• Shastri Park

The dismantling & recycling business employs around 50% population (in every
second house) of Shastri Park which includes women and children also. They are
primarily engaged in segregating and dismantling operations of computer and its
peripherals, refrigerators, stabilizers and air conditioners. Some of the dismantlers in
this area are doing this business since two or three decades. These recyclers either
source directly from industries through auctions (through auction notices in websites,
newspapers), or through middlemen, scrap collectors and vendors from places like
Nehru Place and Mustafabad (areas of scrap dealers). Most of the processes are
manual utilizing simple tools like hammers, screw drivers, chisel etc. These workers
do not use any protective equipment like gloves or masks and believe that there is no
pollution or exposure to hazardous materials. Cables and wires are cut and stripped
for extraction of copper, but open burning is not found in this area. The
recycling/dismantling units are located in the backyards or godams inside the houses.
The residents, due to the clandestine nature of their operations, were reluctant to talk
about any issues related to recycling or old electronic products. Most of them were
aware about the changing scenarios of e-waste trade and were reluctant to adopt any
changes in their way of working.

• Seelampur

Seelampur is a market for all kinds of electronic scraps due to the widespread
dismantling of computers, computer related peripherals, televisions and mobile
phones. The area is located in a clustered residential area with dismantling
workshops in the basements, backyards or front rooms of the houses. Seelampur is
dominated by traders who employ workers usually migrant population for segregation,
reuse and dismantling of electronic products. Some of the recyclers in Seelampur
were aware of the changes which are about to happen to the e-waste business and
were willing to adapt to changes in the current operations. The residents were
concerned about the reduction of their business and profit due to the changes as well
as the discussions about e-waste recycling in the media. All the residents were
ignorant about the health issues like toxicity due to ground water pollution, air
pollution due to open burning, usage of personal protective equipments etc. They also
mentioned that due to the lack of financial resources, they cannot adopt the
occupational health and safety measures.

• Mandoli

This is an industrial area with recycling and processing of e-wastes employing wet
extraction processes with little control over the fumes and emissions of solid and
liquid wastes. The units are small scale industries with high wall and channel gates.
The industry owners were either unavailable at the sites or if present, they were not
ready to talk on the issue. The place was filthy all around with yellow fumes of aqua
regia used for extraction of metals and black colored effluent and residues spilled
over. The area is also dominated by many small scale battery recycling units for
extraction of lead from the old batteries. The workers were non-approachable as they
were not ready to talk in front of their owners and also the rigorous working hours
didn’t permit them to spare few minutes for the discussions.

48
 • Krishna Vihar

The area falls under the Ghaziabad region near Mandoli. Similar to Mandoli, the
workers here are employed for extraction of precious metals through wet extraction
processes. The workers are usually migrants from UP, Bihar, West Bengal and other
neighboring states. The area is dominated by many small scale units like plastics
recycling, glass crushing and recycling, battery recycling for extraction of lead and e-
waste recycling. The processes employed were usually acid bath dipping of printed
wire boards, copper extraction and burning of capacitors. The women and children
were usually engaged in copper extraction and stripping of paint from printed wire
board. The men were involved in burning of capacitors and transistors, dismantling
and breaking as well as for loading and unloading. The units are enclosed by walls,
small gates and one to two rooms shed which is used as a house for few workers.
The workers were not ready to use protective equipments (occasionally use gloves for
Acid dilution and mixing) during the work, as the working efficiency reduces. The
workers also told that they work in shifts with highly hazardous operations like burning
and acid mixing usually performed in night to prevent the release of toxic fumes
during broad daylight.

• Other areas around Delhi

Meerut, Ghaziabad and Firozabad are the neighboring cities (UP) which are the ready
markets for gold, plastic and glass recycling respectively, from e-waste.

6. ELECTRONIC WASTE ESTIMATES FOR DELHI

The e-waste estimates includes the desktops share of Delhi generated in the year 2007. The
desktops estimate was calculated on the basis of ITOPs data from yearly sales (Table 32-
37). The mobiles and television data was not included in the study as mobiles generated in
Delhi form a negligible number and television data was not available on a regular pattern.
The television data would include the generation and obsolescence pattern of both black and
white as well as color television on an yearly basis in Delhi. This annual data on televisions
was not available hence the estimates of e-waste generated in Delhi could not be made. The
Box 2 presents the e-waste estimates for Delhi.

Box 2: E-waste generated from Desktops in Delhi

The total e-waste generated in Delhi from desktops including the households and
businesses segment is 11594 tonnes in the year 2007. The business segment forms a
larger share with 10359 tonnes while households generate 1235 tonnes in the year 2007.
Amongst households, SEC A forms largest contributor (709 tonnes) followed by SEC B
(526 tonnes) and negligible contribution from SEC C. In the business segment, office
locations forms maximum share (9116 tonnes), followed by Outlets (778 tonnes), Factory
locations (322 tonnes) and government offices (143 tonnes). The e-waste generated from
Desktops in the year 2011 will be 16133 tonnes. The business segment forms 85% share
(13772 tonnes) while households form 15% share (2361 tonnes) of e-waste generated in
2011.

49
CHAPTER 3 CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Strategic planning is needed to tackle the e-waste as it can lead to serious threats to
environment and health. The hazardous materials if not encapsulated or disposed of in
sanitary landfills designed for disposal of hazardous wastes can result in leaching of
toxicants into groundwater. The presence of organized recyclers who are handling only a
minor proportion of the total e-waste being recycled is not going to curb the problem.
Therefore, involvement of various stakeholders is recommended to handle the e-waste in an
environmentally sound manner with proper storage, reuse and recycling options. To handle
the e-waste generated in India, it is necessary that other than the formal recyclers, following
stakeholders are involved
• Manufacturers of electronic products
• Government
• End Users
The involvement required is not only at the level of recycling but also at the generation and
disposal stages so that the problem can be addressed at the very initial stages. The
proposed actions suggested for the various stakeholders at different stages of e-waste value-
chain are:

5.1 Role of the Government

Overall Role: The Government should try to develop an inclusive model where informal
recyclers have a stake so as to avoid competition in material sourcing between formal and
informal sector. This can be achieved by tapping their potentials and networking for
collection, segregation, dismantling, repair and refurbishing operations. At the same time, the
wet recycling processes, involving the release of toxics into the air, water and soil, must be
regulated and controlled. The capacities of the informal sector can be built up by involving
NGOs for enhancing their socio-economic status through alternative employment
opportunities, increasing their awareness on good housekeeping practices and occupational
health and safety. They can also play a major role in mobilizing the informal sector on the
path towards formalization and formation of associations. The government can also play a
role in regulating the auctions from government offices and making it compulsory that only
recyclers possessing environmentally friendly recycling capability will be allowed to buy from
government auctions. Government offices can pool their computers and aggregate the waste
to be auctioned.

5.2 End Users

The relocation of televisions and component reuse of mobile phones lowers the recycling for
these two products. While in the case of computers a significant quantity is recycled in India.
Therefore, it is important that attention should be paid to computer waste, especially in the
business segment as it contributes 75% to the overall market size for computers.
Government should draft legislation for institutional users of computers in such a way that
they must include method of disposal in their IT policy document and declare procurement
and replacement rate of computers in their annual reports.

50
5.3 Awareness & Infrastructure Creation

Government should also take initiative to develop recycling capabilities in India especially in
Northern India. Incentives could also be provided for setting up of state-of-art recycling
facilities in India, so that the precious metal mixture is not sent out of India for extraction. The
arrangements should be done for special bins for disposing of small and fast moving
electrical waste like batteries, remote controls, electronic toys, video games, CDs, etc. at
strategic places. The Government should invest in awareness creation for the end-users,
highlighting the possible hazards to the environment and human beings.

5.4 Role of Manufacturers & Vendors

At the Selling Stage

Spread awareness among End-Users by distributing brochures along with the products,
mentioning the concept of e-waste and describing the presence of hazardous material in the
product. An offer for the buy-back of the product should be made at the time of sale. This
offer should clearly mention all the terms related to the price which will be offered in the buy
back and method to be followed for disposal by the end-users.

At the Disposal Stage

Manufacturers and vendors should be made responsible to take care of the convenience of
the end users for disposing off the products. This can be done by having tie-ups with
dealers/retailers for the Buy-back schemes. If possible, some collection or dropping centers
can be build for the customers other than the already available dealer locations.

At the Recycling Stage

Refurbishment or recycling business can become a profitable line of business for the
manufacturers. Develop a vibrant market for second hand electronic products (in the line of
automobile business). It should be made compulsory for the manufacturers to submit an
annual report to the government mentioning the efforts directed towards collection, buy back
schemes, refurbishment and recycling operations.

51
ANNEXURES

Table 1: Ownership of Durables (Source: NCAER)

Table 2: Desktop Growth Rate

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

37% 32% 20% 27% 19%

Table 3: Share of Desktops and Notebooks in overall PC Market

Share in PC market 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Desktop PC 98% 97% 95% 91% 87%
Notebooks 2% 3% 5% 9% 13%

Table 4: Yearly growth of Mobile Phone Subscribers

GSM Subscribers GSM Annual CDMA Subscribers CDMA Annual
Year
(millions) growth (millions) growth
2000 3.1 94% - -
2001 5.05 76% - -
2002 10.5 91% 0.8 -
2003 22 110% 6.4 700%
2004 37.4 70% 10.9 70%
2005 58.5 57% 19.1 75%
2006 105.4 80% 44.2 131%
2007 180 71% 85 92%

52
Table 5: Top Players and their Revenues of last Two Years

Revenue (in Rs crore) Growth

Rank Company
(in
FY '05-06 FY '06-07
%age)
1 Nokia 7,892 11,486 45.5
2 Motorola 507 2,387 370.8
3 LG 2,555 2,348 -8.1
4 Sony Ericsson 605 1,386 129.1
5 Samsung 1,020 1,205 18.1
6 ZTE 360 783 117.5
7 Haier 66 294 345.5
8 Huawei 101 132 30.7
Others 1,152 1,413 22.7
Total 14,258 21,434 50.3

Table 6: Delhi Vs. Mumbai: Recycling Processes

SNo Processes Delhi Mumbai

1 IC’s Extraction from PWB 9 9
2 Surface Heating of PWB and Extraction of components 9 9
3 Dissembling of Monitor and extraction of components 9 9
4 Yoke core and Copper 9 9
5 Metallic Core of Transformer and Copper 9 9
6 Rare Earth Core of Transformer and Copper 9 9
7 Rare Earth Core of Static Transformer 9 9
8 Wire PVC and Copper 9 9
9 Plastic Shredder 9 9
10 Dismantling of Refrigerator and Compressor 9 9
11 Gold Extractions from Pins and Comb 9 Χ
12 Acid Bath for PWB 9 Χ
13 Regunning CRT 9 Χ
14 Glass Recovery from CRT 9 9
15 Gold Recovery 9 9

53
Table 7: Estimation of Potential Annual e-waste

Process Computers Televisions Mobiles

Step 1: Annual Sales by Source of Sales Data
segment ITOPs CEAMA TRAI, AUSPI
Ages Applied
Step 2: Obsolescence ages Households: SEC A: 5,
B&W: 10
applied for calculation of SEC B: 6 & SEC C: 9 Years
Years
Potential Annual e-waste Businesses: Factories: 10, 2 Years
Color: 7
Services: 5, Outlets: 10,
Years
Government: 10 Years
Step 3: No. of units and tonnes Weights Applied
entering the e-waste trade value
chain: Potential Annual e-waste 27.2 KG 25 KG 0.083 KG

Table 8 Business Desktop Sales by Activity of Business

Business Desktop Sales by activity of business

Factory Office Govt.
Year Business Sales Outlets
locations locations Locations
1997 526000 9% 82% 5% 4%
1998 628180 12% 85% 1% 2%
1999 843907 13% 79% 4% 4%
2000 1117873 11% 81% 6% 2%
2001 1465659 5% 85% 8% 2%
2002 1857851 8% 82% 7% 3%
2003 2337405 9% 79% 8% 4%
2004 2615486 10% 80% 7% 3%
2005 3461043 11% 74% 12% 3%
2006 4063037 3% 84% 7% 6%
2007 4687500 5% 80% 10% 5%
2008 5390625 5% 80% 10% 5%
2009 6199219 5% 80% 10% 5%
2010 7129102 5% 80% 10% 5%
2011 8198467 5% 80% 10% 5%

54
Table 9 Household Desktop Sales by SEC

Household Desktop Sales by SEC

Year Household Sales SEC A SEC B SEC C

1997 48400 43% 57% 0%
1998 170878 72% 28% 0%
1999 183283 81% 19% 0%
2000 287454 77% 23% 0%
2001 415981 69% 31% 0%
2002 435792 46% 36% 18%
2003 698186 46% 34% 20%
2004 1017133 51% 28% 21%
2005 1153681 55% 29% 16%
2006 1427554 44% 36% 20%
2007 1562500 45% 35% 20%
2008 1796875 45% 35% 20%
2009 2066406 45% 35% 20%
2010 2376367 45% 35% 20%
2011 2732822 45% 35% 20%

Table 10 E-waste from Desktops (Businesses)

e-waste from Desktops (Businesses)

Year Factory Office e-waste (in e-waste in
Outlets Government
(e-waste) locations locations numbers) Tonnes
2007 47340 1523438 130050 21040 1721867 46835
2008 75382 1846550 186992 12564 2121488 57704
2009 109708 2092389 183084 33756 2418937 65795
2010 122966 2561172 415325 22357 3121820 84914
2011 73283 3412951 284413 29313 3799960 103359

Table 11 E-waste from Desktops (Households)

e-waste from Desktops (Households)

Year e-waste in
SEC A SEC B SEC C e-waste (in numbers)
(e-waste) Tonnes
2007 200464 128954 0 329419 8960
2008 321166 156885 0 478051 13003
2009 518738 237383 0 756121 20566
2010 634525 284797 0 919322 25006
2011 628124 334567 78443 1041134 28319

55
Table 12 Overall E-waste from Desktops & Notebooks (in Tonnes)

Overall e-waste from Desktops and Notebooks in

Tonnes

2007 56324
2008 72019
2009 88365
2010 114458
2011 137991

Table 13 E-waste from Notebooks (Businesses)

e-waste from Notebooks

e-waste (in numbers) e-waste (in tonnes)
(Businesses)
2007 155094 529
2008 376577 1284
2009 532374 1815
2010 1012523 3453
2011 1417533 4834

Table 14 E-waste from Notebooks (Households)

e-waste from Notebooks

e-waste (in numbers) e-waste (in tonnes)
(Households)
2007 0
2008 7908 27
2009 55256 188
2010 318486 1086
2011 433939 1480

56
 Table 15 Television Market Size and e-waste (CEAMA)
Year B&W (in millions) COLOR (in millions) TOTAL (in millions)
1992 5 0.83 5.83
1993 4 1.5 5.5
1994 3.5 1.35 4.85
1995 5.8 1.8 7.6
1996 6 2.1 8.1
1997 6 2.8 8.8
1998 5.9 3.8 9.7
1999 5.7 5 10.7
2000 4.5 5 9.5
2001 3.9 5.3 9.2
2002 3.5 6.75 10.25
2003 3 8 11
2004 2.5 9.25 11.75
2005 2 10.25 12.25
2006 1.5 11.5 13
2007 1 15 16

Table 16 Mobile Handset Market Size and e-waste

Total
handset
sales
(projected) 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
All Metros 8057885 10628038 14354806 17279963 19333165 14691964 12376915
A Circles 10849369 20946959 33178970 43550279 51834626 43983482 39259786
B Circles 10380351 21482660 34640941 46438312 56482986 48413839 44495969
C Circles 3174897 8383627 14825652 20820501 27088668 23758929 24126705
Total 32462501 61441284 97000369 128089056 154739445 130848214 120259375

Table 17 E-waste Generated from Handset Replacement (in number)

e-waste generated from

handset replacement
(projected, in number of
handsets) 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
All Metros 3566284 7637106 10788522 9642857 8544643
A Circles 6978273 16228850 26200697 27321429 25633929
B Circles 6899026 16706170 27741914 29732143 28741071
C Circles 2495912 7159787 12329740 13660714 14758929
Total 19939495 47731913 77060874 80357143 77678571

57
Table 18 Potential E-waste Generated from Handset Replacement (in tonnes)
Potential e-waste generated from
handset replacement (projected) in
tonnes 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
All Metros 296 634 895 800 709
A Circles 579 1347 2175 2268 2128
B Circles 573 1387 2303 2468 2386
C Circles 207 594 1023 1134 1225
Total 1655 3962 6396 6670 6447

Table 19 E-waste from Televisions (in tonnes)

e-waste in Tonnes Color TV Black & White TV Total e-waste

2007 125000 150000 275000
2008 132500 147500 280000
2009 168750 142500 311250
2010 200000 112500 312500
2011 231250 97500 328750

Table 20 Potential Annual e-waste Region wise Generation Rate (in MT)

Televisions (in MT)

Overall Potential Annual e-waste in 2007 275000
Region wise e-waste
North 55000
East 38500
West 99000
South 82500
Computers
Overall Potential Annual e-waste in 2007 56324
Region wise e-waste
North 12955
East 7322
West 17460
South 18587
Mobiles
Overall Potential Annual e-waste in 2007 1655
Region wise e-waste
North 563
East 281
West 480
South 331
TOTAL Potential Annual e-waste Region Wise in
332979
2007
North 68517
East 46103
West 116940
South 101418

58
Table 21: Percentage Replacement of Computers/ year (Base: 203)

Computers Replaced Percentage of organizations

0-10% 65%
11-20% 18%
21-30% 11%
31-40% 2%
41-50% 3%
More than 50% 1%

Table 22: Percentage Replacements of Computers by Manufacturing Organizations

( Base: 55)

Computers Replaced Percentage of organizations

0-10% 24%
11-20% 43%
21-30% 22%
31-40% 11%
41-50% 0
More than 50% 0

Table 23: Percentage Replacement of Computers by Services (Base: 145)

Computers Replaced Percentage of Organizations

0-10% 30%
11-20% 33%
21-30% 17%
31-40% 11%
41-50% 3%
More than 50% 6%

Table 24: Driving Force for Computer Disposal in Business segment (Base: 203)

Reasons for Disposal Percentage of Business

Organizations
Technology compatibility 40%
Latest trends 17%
More affordable features 8%
Economic value nil after 1%
depreciation
Upgrade from desktop to laptop 2%
IT Guidelines 2%
Technical problems 30%

59
Table 25: Methods adopted for Disposal of Computer and IT products in Business segment

Methods Percentage
Donation 7%
Vendors Buy Back 48%
Sell as Second Hand 21%
Product
Sell as Scrap 11%
Sell to Employees 11%
Sell to Recycling 2%
Company

Table 26: Consideration for Disposal of Computer & IT products in Business segment
(Base: 203)

Most Important Consideration Percentage of

Organizations
Convenience 33
Want Best Price 32
Best Exchange Offer 28
Want to dispose in an Ecofriendly 6
manner
Pick-ups & no spending on 1
warehouses

Table 27: Expectations from Formal Recyclers (Base 203)

Services Expected Services Most Important Service

Logistic 22% 34%
Best Price 19% 25%
Prompt Payment 19% 17%
Wide Geographic 15% 9%
Coverage
Quick Pickup 15% 13%
Credibility 6% 1%
Transparency 4% 0%

60
Table 28: Reasons for Replacing Computers in Households (Base: 432)

Reasons Percentage of
Households
More features at less price 14%
Obsolete technology 25%
Technical problems 28%
Latest trends 16%
Aesthetics 12%
Upgrade from Desktops 3%
Peer pressure 2%

Table 29: Reasons for replacing Televisions in Households (Base: 228)

Reasons Percentage of
Households
Technical problems 39%
Latest trends & technology 26%
Upgraded Features 19%
Peer pressure 10%
Better Aesthetics 6%

Table 30: Reasons for replacing Mobile phones in Households (Base: 191)

Reasons Percentage of
Households
Keep up with latest trends 30%
Upgrade Features 14%
Peer pressure 5%
More features at affordable price 6%
Aesthetics 6%
Technical problems 39%

Table 31: Method of Disposal in Households

Method Computer(180) Mobile Television

(122) (111)
Given to Relatives 77% 65% 57%
Donated 1% 4% 6%
Thrown in Dustbin 0% 3% 0%
Sold in second hand 16% 23% 14%
market
Sold to scrap dealer 2% 0% 14%
Exchanged for new 4% 5% 8%
computer/ mobile/ TV
61
Table 32: E-waste generated in Delhi from different types of businesses (ITOPs)

e-waste from Different Type of Businesses

e- Factory Office
waste locations locations Outlets Government
(Year) (10 years) (5 years) (5years) (10 years) e-waste (in nos)
2007 11835 335156 28611 5260 380862
2008 18845 203121 20569 3141 245676
2009 27427 334782 29293 8439 399942
2010 30742 307341 49839 5589 393511
2011 18321 443684 36974 7328 506306

Table 33: E-waste generated (in Tonnes) in Delhi from different types of businesses (ITOPs)

e-waste from Different Types of Businesses (in Tonnes)

e-
waste Factory Office
in locations locations Outlets Government
tonnes (10 years) (5 years) (5years) (10 years) e-waste in Tonnes
2007 322 9116 778 143 10359
2008 513 5525 559 85 6682
2009 746 9106 797 230 10878
2010 836 8360 1356 152 10703
2011 498 12068 1006 199 13772

Table 34: E-waste generated in Delhi from different SEC of Households (ITOPs)

e-waste from different SEC of Households

e-waste e-waste
(Year) SEC A (5 years) SEC B (6 years) SEC C (9 years) (in nos)
2007 26060 19343 0 45403
2008 35328 20395 0 55723
2009 77811 26112 0 103923
2010 38071 42720 0 80791
2011 56531 20074 10198 86803

62
Table 35: E-waste generated (in Tonnes) in Delhi from different SEC of Households (ITOPs)

e-waste e-waste
in tonnes SEC A (5 years) SEC B (6 years) SEC C (9 years) in Tonnes
2007 709 526 0 1235
2008 961 555 0 1516
2009 2116 710 0 2827
2010 1036 1162 0 2198
2011 1538 546 277 2361

Table 36: Overall e-waste from Desktops in Delhi

Overall e-waste from Desktops in Tonnes: Businesses & Households

2007 11594
2008 8198
2009 13705
2010 12901
2011 16133

Table 37: ITOPs data used for estimation of Desktops in Delhi

Desktops: Business market (Yearly trend)

Business Desktop Sales by activity of business

Delhi
Business Percentage Factory Office Govt.
Year Sales Share locations locations Outlets Locations
1997 526000 25% 9% 82% 5% 4%
1998 628180 25% 12% 85% 1% 2%
1999 843907 25% 13% 79% 4% 4%
2000 1117873 25% 11% 81% 6% 2%
2001 1465659 25% 5% 85% 8% 2%
2002 1857851 22% 8% 82% 7% 3%
2003 2337405 11% 9% 79% 8% 4%
2004 2615486 16% 10% 80% 7% 3%
2005 3461043 12% 11% 74% 12% 3%
2006 4063037 13% 3% 84% 7% 6%

Business Desktop Sales by activity of business

Business Sales in Factory Office Govt.
Year Sales Delhi locations locations Outlets Locations
1997 526000 131500 11835 107830 6575 5260
1998 628180 157045 18845 133488 1570 3141
1999 843907 210977 27427 166672 8439 8439
63
2000 1117873 279468 30742 226369 16768 5589
2001 1465659 366415 18321 311453 29313 7328
2002 1857851 408727 32698 335156 28611 12262
2003 2337405 257115 23140 203121 20569 10285
2004 2615486 418478 41848 334782 29293 12554
2005 3461043 415325 45686 307341 49839 12460
2006 4063037 528195 15846 443684 36974 31692

Household Desktop Sales by SEC

Delhi's
HH Percentage
Year Sales share SEC A SEC B SEC C
1997 48400 15% 43% 57% 0%
1998 170878 15% 72% 28% 0%
1999 183283 15% 81% 19% 0%
2000 287454 15% 77% 23% 0%
2001 415981 15% 69% 31% 0%
2002 435792 13% 46% 36% 18%
2003 698186 11% 46% 34% 20%
2004 1017133 15% 51% 28% 21%
2005 1153681 6% 55% 29% 16%
2006 1427554 9% 44% 36% 20%
Household Desktop Sales by SEC
Year HH Sales Sales in Delhi SEC A SEC B SEC C
1997 48400 7260 3122 4138 0
1998 170878 25632 18455 7177 0
1999 183283 27492 22269 5224 0
2000 287454 43118 33201 9917 0
2001 415981 62397 43054 19343 0
2002 435792 56653 26060 20395 10198
2003 698186 76800 35328 26112 15360
2004 1017133 152570 77811 42720 32040
2005 1153681 69221 38071 20074 11075
2006 1427554 128480 56531 46253 25696

64
REFERENCES
1. Beary: Bangalore faces e waste hazards, January 2005
(http://incommunicado.info/node/140)
2. Census of India data (http://www.censusindia.gov.in/)
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(http://www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/india/press/reports/recycling-of-electronic-
wastes.pdf)
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(http://www.ncaer.org/publications.aspx?id=4)
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nokia.com/blog/index.php?itemid=273&catid=11)
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12. TRAI website (http://www.trai.gov.in)
13. Data from various industry associations:
a. Indian Cellular Association
b. Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association
c. Electronic Industries Association of India
d. Telecom Equipment Manufacturer’s Association
e. Manufacturers’ Association of Information Technology

65
 BIRD
D
Ressearch-based
search-based Consultancy for B2B and
technology Markets

66