At the World Sustainable Development Summit on February 10, the European Union launched the second phase of its Resource Efficiency Initia...
At the World Sustainable Development Summit on February 10, the European Union launched the second phase of its Resource Efficiency Initiative in India. This new phase promises to build India’s capacity for resource efficiency to international standards by investing in a comprehensive training programme for the government, private sector and non-governmental organisations. But if the EU and the Indian government want to make the project a real success, they would do well to include the local community experts who drive electronic waste management across the country.
If you want to dispose of a laptop in any city in India, you will probably call your neighbourhood scrap dealer, who will route it to the e-waste processing community. A community member will purchase the laptop from the scrap trader and shepherd it through the next stage of its life cycle. If possible, the device will be repaired and sold to dealers in the second-hand market. If not, it will be disassembled and its parts distributed. Printed circuit boards, for instance, will find their way to specialists who will extract their copper. Glass waste will become bangles or televisions, plastic will become voltage stabilizers, and so on.
These economies are self-sustaining, highly specialised and true to their cultural roots. They have...
