When Producers Made Responsible for E-Waste
If a company makes and sells an electronic product, it should also take responsibility for what happens to that product when it becomes waste. As we have seen, electronic waste...
Solving India’s E-waste Problem
The challenge is not to push the informal sector aside, but to make it safer, more organised and environmentally responsible. Continuing from last week’s article, the informal sector cannot simply...
Seelampur: Where the World’s Discarded Technology Ends Up
In the absence of enough authorised recycling facilities, even unauthorised units are filling a vital gap. Seelampur, on the outskirts of Delhi, is almost like a huge marketplace for discarded...
India’s Growing E-Waste Problem
India is now the fifth-largest generator of e-waste in the world, after the USA, China, Japan and Germany. Yet, less than two per cent of the e-waste generated in the...
Hidden Cost of Digital Lives
The discarded device may no longer be useful to its owner, but many of the materials inside it still have value. The scale of the e-waste problem is enormous. A...
E-Waste: India’s Growing Challenge
What makes e-waste unique is that it is both a challenge and an opportunity. Many people imagine that only large industries or IT companies generate electronic waste. The reality is...
Electronic Waste: A Growing Challenge in the Digital Age
Every discarded phone, laptop and appliance contains valuable resources—but also hidden environmental risks. Understanding e-waste is the first step towards managing it responsibly. Take a look around your home. An...
From Waste to Worth: Lessons from India's Waste Pickers
Waste pickers are not a burden on cities—they are among their most valuable environmental service providers. Last week's article examined how exclusionary policies continue to undermine the livelihoods of waste...
India's Recycling Revolution Left Its Workers Behind
The workers who have sustained urban recycling systems for decades remain excluded from the benefits of the very circular economy they helped build. In continuation of my last week’s article,...
New Plastic Rules Push Producers Towards Circular Economy Goals
Comprehensive regulations alone cannot solve the plastic waste crisis. Their success will depend on credible enforcement and accountability. Through previous articles in this series, we have learned that India's plastic...
