e-Waste reCycling & reUse

What is e-waste?

E-Waste includes almost any household or business item containing circuitry or electrical components with either power or battery supply.

Although e-waste is a general term, it can be considered to denote items such as TV appliances, computers, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, white goods - for example, fridges, washing machines, dryers - home entertainment and stereo systems, toys, toasters and kettles.

Everyone knows there is a problem. But Step proposes the solution!

The term "e-waste" is an abbreviation of "electronic waste". A key part of the definition is the word "waste" and what it logically implies – that the item has no further use and is rejected as useless or excess to the owner in its current condition.

The definition of e-waste that has been agreed by Step is:

"E-Waste is a term used to cover items of all types of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and its parts that have been discarded by the owner as waste without the intention of re-use."

Step-by Step Process of E-waste Recycling

The e-waste recycling process is highly labor intensive and goes through several steps. Below is the step-by-step process of how e-waste is recycled,

1. Picking Shed

When the e-waste items arrive at the recycling plants, the first step involves sorting all the items manually. Batteries are removed for quality check.

2. Disassembly

After sorting by hand, the second step involves a serious labor intensive process of manual dismantling. The e-waste items are taken apart to retrieve all the parts and then categorized into core materials and components. The dismantled items are then separated into various categories into parts that can be re-used or still continue the recycling processes.

3. First size reduction process

Here, items that cannot be dismantled efficiently are shredded together with the other dismantled parts to pieces less than 2 inches in diameter. It is done in preparation for further categorization of the finer e-waste pieces.

4. Second size reduction process

The finer e-waste particles are then evenly spread out through an automated shaking process on a conveyor belt. The well spread out e-waste pieces are then broken down further. At this stage, any dust is extracted and discarded in a way that does not degrade the environmentally.

5. Over-band Magnet

At this step, over-band magnet is used to remove all the magnetic materials including steel and iron from the e-waste debris.

6. Non-metallic and metallic components separation.

The sixth step is the separation of metals and non-metallic components. Copper, aluminum, and brass are separated from the debris to only leave behind non-metallic materials. The metals are either sold as raw materials or re-used for fresh manufacture.

7. Water Separation.

As the last step, plastic content is separated from glass by use of water. One separated, all the materials retrieved can then be resold as raw materials for re-use. The products sold include plastic, glass, copper, iron, steel, shredded circuit boards, and valuable metal mix.

E-cycle components re-use

1. Plastic. All the plastic materials retrieved are sent to recyclers who use them to manufacture items such as fence posts, plastic sleepers, plastic trays, vineyard stakes, and equipment holders or insulators among other plastic products.

2. Metal. Scrap metals materials retrieved are sent to recyclers to manufacture new steel and other metallic materials.

3. Glass. Glass is retrieved from the Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) mostly found in televisions and computer monitors. Extracting glass for recycling from CRTs is a more complicated task since CRTs are composed of several hazardous materials. Lead is the most dangerous and can adversely harm human health and the environment. Tubes in big CRT monitors can contain high levels of lead of up to 4 kilograms. Other toxic metals such as barium and phosphor are also contained in CRT tubes. To achieve the best environmentally friendly glass extraction, the following steps ensure a specialized CRT recycling:

Manual separation of the CRT from the television or monitor body

• Size reduction process where the CRT is shredded into smaller pieces. Dust is eliminated and disposed in an environmentally friendly way.
• All metals are removal through over-band magnets, where ferrous and non-ferrous components are eliminated from the glass materials.
• A washing line is then used to clear oxides and phosphors from the glass
• Glass sorting is the final step whereby leaded glass is separated from non-leaded glass. The extracts can then be used for making new screens.

4. Mercury. Mercury containing devices are sent to mercury recycling facilities that uses a specialized technology for elimination for use in dental amalgams and metric instruments, and for fluorescent lighting. Other components such as glass and plastics are re-used for manufacture of their respective products.

5. Printed Circuit Boards. Circuit boards are sent to specialized and accredited companies where they are smelted to recover non-renewable resources such as silver, tin, gold, palladium, copper and other valuable metals.

6. Hard Drives. Hard drives are shredded in whole and processed into aluminum ingots for use in automotive industry.

7. Ink and Toner Cartridges. Ink and toner cartridges are taken back to respective manufacturing industries for recycling. They are remanufactured while those that can’t are separated into metal and plastic for re-use as raw materials.

8. Batteries. Batteries are taken to specialized recyclers where they are hulled to take out plastic. The metals are smelted is specialized conditions to recover nickel, steel, cadmium and cobalt that are re-used for new battery production and fabrication of stainless steel.

Batteries are taken to specialized recyclers where they are hulled to take out plastic. The metals are smelted is specialized conditions to recover nickel, steel, cadmium and cobalt that are re-used for new battery production and fabrication of stainless steel.

Waste Sorting & Methods

Waste sorting

Waste sorting is the process by which waste is separated into different elements. Waste sorting can occur manually at the household and collected through curbside collection schemes, or automatically separated in materials recovery facilities or mechanical biological treatment systems. Hand sorting was the first method used in the history of waste sorting.


Waste segregation means dividing waste into dry and wet. Dry waste includes wood and related products, metals and glass. Wet waste, typically refers to organic waste usually generated by eating establishments and are heavy in weight due to dampness. Waste can also be segregated on basis of biodegradable or non-biodegradable waste.

Landfills are an increasingly pressing problem. Less and less land is available to deposit refuse, but the volume of waste is growing all time. As a result, segregating waste is not just of environmental importance, but of economic concern, too.

Methods

Waste is collected at its source in each area and separated. The way that waste is sorted must reflect local disposal systems. The following categories are common:

• Paper
• Cardboard (including packaging for return to suppliers)
• Glass (clear, tinted – no light bulbs or window panes, which belong with residual waste)
• Plastics
• Textiles
• Wood, leather, rubber
• Scrap metal
• Compost
• Special/hazardous waste
• Residual waste

Organic waste can also be segregated for disposal:

• Leftover food which has had any contact with meat can be collected separately to prevent the spread of bacteria.
  • Meat and bone can be retrieved by bodies responsible for animal waste
  • If other leftovers are sent, for example, to local farmers, they can be sterilised before being fed to the animals
• Peel and scrapings from fruit and vegetables can be composted along with other degradable matter. Other waste can be included for composting, too, such as cut flowers, corks, coffee grindings, rotting fruit, tea bags, egg- and nutshells, paper towels etc.

Chip pan oil (fryer oil), used fats, vegetable oil and the content of fat filters can be collected by companies able to re-use them. Local authority waste departments can provide relevant addresses. This can be achieved by providing recycling bins.

This Is What Happens To The Wastage Inside Ambani’s Antilia. That’s Why He Is So Successful

Mukesh Ambani is the richest man in India and that’s a fact. His sense of business, unique way of implementing things and the way he has taken Reliance to new heights always catches our fancy.

Apart from all this, his house Antilia worth Rs 17000 crores is also something that is continuously talked about. There is almost everything that people want to know about one of the most expensive houses in the world.

Antilia is a 27-story skyscraper which is housed and maintained by almost 600 employees. There are a hell lot of luxuries inside the house and you will be amazed to know that the roof has 3 helipads and the house has a space to park 168 cars.

Also, there is a dance studio, a theatre, a ballroom, a temple, spa room and multiple guest suites. And after all this, one thing that comes to mind is how they manage the wastage all this generates. With so much at one place, there must be a lot of wastage. What exactly happens with the wastage at the Ambani’s Antilia?

Here’s the answer-

So, the Ambani’s like to do everything unique and in an inspiring way. Wastage is not wasted in the Antilia as they don’t dump it instead they use it to generate electricity.

A special system is used for the mechanism which separates dry and wet wastage. The wet wastage is dumped and the dry wastage is used again to generate electricity.

Now that’s a brilliant idea to generate electricity when the world is going through the energy crisis. Isn’t it?

SIMPLE WAYS TO PRACTISE WASTE SEGREGATION AT HOME

What is waste segregation?

Waste segregation refers to the separation of wet waste and dry waste, the purpose is to recycle dry waste easily and to use wet waste as compost.

Why should we segregate waste?

When we segregate waste, there is reduction of waste that gets landfilled and occupies space, air and water pollution rates are considerably lowered. Segregating waste also makes it easier to apply different processes - composting, recycling and incineration can be applied to different kinds of waste.

Here are some steps to manage and segregate waste:

1. Keep separate containers for dry and wet waste in the kitchen.

2. Keep two bags for dry waste collection- paper and plastic, for the rest of the household waste

3. Keep plastic from the kitchen clean and dry and drop into the dry waste bin. Keep glass/plastic containers rinsed of food matter.

4. Send wet waste out of your home daily. Store and send dry waste out of the home, once a week.

5. Keep a paper bag for throwing the sanitary waste.

Practising waste management and segregation as a community -

The best way to practise waste management is to form a group of like minded people. The process of waste segregation should be thoroughly explained to family/neighbours in your apartment building or neighbourhood. Create awareness amongst the staff in the apartment building/neighbourhood to help make the process easier. Acquiring separate storage drums for storing the dry waste and wet waste will be a great way to store bulk waste. Drop the dry waste into the blue bins placed at nearest recycling centers in Delhi. For outside Delhi drop it to any Kabadiwala near you.

Contents of Green and Blue Dustbins

Waste generators (households) should segregate waste in 2 dustbins.


A Green bin should be used for Wet waste.
The contents of the Green bin as described by MSW Rules 2016 are

• Food wastes of all kinds cooked and uncooked, including eggshells and bones
• flower, fruit and waste including juice
• vegetable peels
• household garden/plant wastes
• Soiled paper (used toilet paper, paper towel etc.)




A Blue bin should be used for dry waste.
The contents of the Blue bin as described by MSW Rules 2016 are

• Paper (Newspaper, notebooks etc.)
• Cardboard & cartons
• Containers & packaging of all kinds excluding those containing hazardous materials
• Compound packaging (Tetra pack etc.)
• Plastics
• Wood
• Rag
• Discarded Clothing

INDIA BEGINS SEGREGATION OF WASTE

The management of municipal solid waste in India has surfaced or continued to be a severe problem not only because of environmental and aesthetic concerns but also because of the enormous quantities generated every day. Even though only 31% of Indian population resides in urban areas, this population of 377 million (Census of India, 2011) generates a gigantic 1,43,449 metric tonnes per day of municipal solid waste, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), 2014-15 and these figures increase every day with an increase in population.

The SWM Rules, 2016 define segregation as sorting and separate storage of various components of solid waste namely biodegradable wastes including agriculture and dairy waste, non-biodegradable wastes including recyclable waste, non-recyclable combustible waste, sanitary waste and non-recyclable inert waste, domestic hazardous wastes, and construction and demolition wastes.

It is strongly felt that the principle of Reduce, Reuse, Recover, Recycle, Repair, Refuse & Rethink should be adopted and after making serious efforts to minimize waste, all components of MSW be utilized in a manner, that the full potential of the waste is tapped. Appropriate segregation at source/secondary storages is essential to achieve this object. The waste that can be recycled should be recycled to manufacture new products saving natural resources, the wet wastes that can produce biogas or compost, should be processed and the wastes that are non-recyclable and yet have high calorific value should be used for Waste to Energy plants.

Further, as per SWM Rules 2016, 
1) Every waste generator shall

(a) Segregate and store the waste generated by them in three separate streams namely bio-degradable, non-biodegradable and domestic hazardous wastes in suitable bins and handover segregated wastes to authorized waste pickers or waste collectors as per the direction or notification by the local authorities from time to time;

(b) Wrap securely the used sanitary waste like diapers, sanitary pads etc., in the pouches provided by the manufacturers or brand owners of these products or in a suitable wrapping material as instructed by the local authorities and shall place the same in the bin meant for dry waste or non- bio-degradable waste;

(c) Store separately construction and demolition waste, as and when generated, in his own premises and shall dispose off as per the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016;

(d) Store horticulture waste and garden waste generated from his premises separately in his own premises and dispose of as per the directions of the local body from time to time.

(e) No waste generator shall throw, burn or burry the solid waste generated by him, on streets, open public spaces outside his premises or in the drain or water bodies.