Aafrin Kidwai 
Representational Image by Alexandre Debiève on Unsplash
India is now officially the world’s third-biggest e-waste generator with 85-90% of it managed by 3,400 to 5000 informal recycling units. The existing recycling process predominantly involves the extraction of valuable materials after shredding the e-waste into tiny pieces that could be reused in a new electronic appliance. Refining processes include, thermal, mechanical reduction, melting and chemical processing. However, due to the value-driven nature of the informal sector and the absence of transboundary constraints, it is challenging to source, channel, and collect e-waste in this sector. Despite a growing number of recyclers and dismantlers, they are only able to do primary processing up to the printed circuit board level due to economic reasons. In addition, there is a heavy dependency on advanced technology to process them further to recover metal. Other challenges include high processing and procurement costs, low margins, and underutilization of capabilities.
Comprehensive environmental management services, Re Sustainability has announced its foray into the formal management of e-waste. With their systems optimized, precious metal waste streams can be processed quickly, efficiently, and sustainably to reduce the need for precious metal mining in a one-stop-shop environment.
