Students As e-Waste Warriors: Sensitizing About Reducing And Safe Disposal Of E-Waste

The Paris Agreement is perhaps the most well-known agreement on climate change mobilizing all the nations under one pact, but what about efforts at an individual level? How will the world even know about the steps that are being taken to combat the growing problems of climate change and waste management? Acknowledging the importance of rewarding and recognizing such efforts, TERI introduced the ‘Green Heroes Contest’ to honour such initiatives. Kirti Lakhanpal, a ‘green hero’ herself, shares her experience with e-waste management and how being a part of this campaign has been truly rewarding for her. Kirti started a small movement amongst her students who went back to sensitize their parents and neighbourhoods on reducing e-waste and the need for safe disposal. As part of this effort, students have educated nearly 80 ragpickers on the health hazards of unsafe dismantling of e-waste and convinced them to sell it judiciously to the organized sector.

- Kirti Lakhanpal

With industrialization and rapid economic growth, the consumption of electrical and electronic items has become a need of industries and households. The increased consumption has made the working conditions and life easy, but problems arise when e-products turn into e-waste.

Creating Awareness about the Growing Menace of e-Waste

As e-waste is a relatively new issue, it was found during the visits in our neighbourhood and in Happy Streets, 1 that people, generally, are not aware of it and the damage it does to the environment. For this reason, spreading awareness from the grassroots level was felt to be necessary and hence the students are the first to receive this education, especially about the products that end up as e-waste and how hazardous its improper disposal can be. They are made aware of the different types of e-waste that go for recycling and its proper way of disposal.

For this purpose, different strategies are adopted so that what the students have learnt is shared with their family, friends, and neighbours. The main objectives of the mission are:

To increase our knowledge and understanding on waste generation and its management.

To raise awareness amongst school children, teachers, and parents and in the community regarding the harmful effects of the incorrect disposal of e-waste and environmentally sound e-waste management.

To develop awareness amongst those who discard the e-waste through unsafe methods.

To establish an e-waste collection system in schools.

Students can learn the importance of reducing the usage, repairing or reusing the electronic items, and can in turn influence others to do so.