E-waste recycling challenges

The UN Environment Program predicts that between 2007 and 2020, the amount of e-waste in India will grow by as much as 500%, and in South Africa and China from 200% to 400%. E-waste is the unofficial name for electronic products. approaching the end of their "useful life".

E-waste is computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, and other general e-waste products. Recycling and disposal has proven to be a major challenge. Computer equipment accounts for 70% of electronic waste, especially recently, when hosting providers all over the world have to frequently update the technical base of servers in order to provide, for example, reliable hosting ua in Ukraine. In addition, users also regularly dispose of old computers. This is followed by telecommunications equipment, which accounts for 12% of e-waste, electrical equipment - 8% and medical equipment - 7%, according to the study.

E-waste has been on the agenda of the international convention of non-ferrous minerals and metals in India's metallurgical city, Jamshedpur. The delegates discussed the problems arising in the non-ferrous metallurgy, including the generation of electronic waste. With such huge volumes of e-waste, the parties to the convention believe that with such huge volumes of e-waste, the sustainable industrial recovery of rare metals such as germanium, tellurium, gallium, indium and other rare earths requires efficient technologies based on cooperation with research and development organizations.

India is the fifth largest e-waste generator in the world, according to the IANS news agency. And this is a problem for the Indian authorities. About 1.8 million tons of e-waste is generated in India annually. This figure is likely to rise to 5.2 million tons by 2020, as the annual growth rate is projected to be 30%. But only about 2.5% of E-waste is currently being recycled, experts say.