Define e-waste. What are the various methods for effective e-waste management?

E-waste, or electronic waste, refers to discarded electronic or electrical devices and components. This includes items like computers, mobile phones, televisions, refrigerators, and other electronic appliances that are no longer in use or have reached the end of their life cycle.

The various methods for effective e-waste management are as follows:

1. Dismantling — Removal of parts containing dangerous substances (CFCs, Hg switches, PCB), removal of easily accessible parts containing valuable substances (cable containing copper, steel, iron, parts containing precious metals).

2. Segregation of ferrous metal, non-ferrous metal and plastic — This separation is normally done in a shredder process.

3. Refurbishment and reuse — Refurbishment and reuse of e-waste has potential for those used electrical and electronic equipments which can be easily refurbished to put to its original use.

4. Recycling/recovery of valuable materials — Ferrous metals in electrical arc furnaces, non-ferrous metals in smelting plants, precious metals in separating works.

5. Treatment/disposal of dangerous materials and waste — Shredder light fraction is disposed off in landfill sites or sometimes incinerated (expensive), chlorofluoro-carbons (CFCs) are treated thermally, Printed Circuit Board (PCB) is incinerated or disposed off in underground storages, mercury (Hg) is often recycled or disposed off in underground landfill sites.