Old computers, consumer electronics, home appliances or similar products which is out of use or discarded or that have reached its end of life are called e-waste or electronic waste. In India the concept of e-waste recycling is still at nascent stage but in developed country it is taken very seriously with plenty of laws dedicated to it. But with the advancement of technology the concept of recycling e-waste material is fast catching up with Indians and it is happening big time.
The developed countries are the largest producer of e-waste, let’s look at the statistics. In the year 2010, 50 million tonnes of e-waste was generated globally and it is projected that a decade later the number will rise to 150 million tonnes almost thrice that of 2010. The three largest producer of e-waste are USA with 5.1 million tonnes followed by UK with 1.2 million tonnes and Australia with 1.19 million tonnes. E-waste disposed contains both valuable materials as well as toxic materials, which needs special type of care while handling it. Many e-waste recycling companies like Ultrustsolutions, Trishyiraya Recycling etc are taking full advantage of this scenario.
Some more numbers to justify the opportunity that lies ahead for a lucrative business proposal for new entrepreneur in this e-waste segment. Every year number of PCs discarded by USA is 47.5 million, by UK it is 8.2 million and by Australia it is 2.1 million. To add to this USA discard 100 million mobile phone, UK 28 million and Australia 13 million. These staggering numbers speak volumes about the business opportunity for new-age environmental conscious entrepreneurs in the recycling business of this material. Apart from business concern e-waste recycling to some extent solves environmental problems like conservation of natural resources, reduction in pollution of air and water caused through hazardous disposal of this e-waste, low carbon foot print etc.
Since a significant part of e-waste lands in Indian harbor from the developed countries it can be easily procured and recycled. There is a growing demand for recycled products from environmental conscious people and hence a good business opportunity. Entrepreneurs those who really want to create a niche for themselves and stand apart from the crowd then this segment is ideal for them.
