Earlier this year, NGOs Saahas and Environmental Synergies in Development (Ensyde) had installed 12 e-waste (electronic waste) drop-off boxes in post offices and Bangalore One centres in the city and collected 4.4 tonnes of it in 10 months. They recovered 306 kg of metals and diverted 26.34 kg of toxic metals from landfills.
Now, along with BM Kaval Residents’ Welfare Association, the NGOs have introduced the first e-waste bin in a public place in Bengaluru.
The bin was installed in CMH Road on Saturday morning.
After the e-waste is collected, it is given to a recycler who then processes it further, Manvel Alur, CEO of Ensyde, told The Times of India.
The bin has two openings, one at the top and the other at the bottom. The top opening can be used to discard e-waste that is bigger in size. The smaller stuff goes at the bottom.
Bengaluru is the third largest e-waste producer in India after Mumbai and Delhi. It generates 37,000 metric tonnes of electronic waste every year. Once dismantled, the e-waste can have adverse effects on our health as it contains harmful chemicals and heavy metals, reports TOI. This makes recycling it very important. Additionally, if e-waste is not separated from dry waste by the BBMP, it ends up entering landfills. These e-waste bins will help segregate the waste at source and stop it from entering landfills.
The residents have welcomed this move. The RWA is also planning to introduce a bin for medical waste generated from households.
Source:-.thebetterindia
