Ecoreco takes E-waste collection drive across Maharashtra

After successful implementation in Mumbai and enthused with the response from the public to the e-waste collection drive, Eco Recycling Limited, popularly known as ‘Ecoreco’, India’s first professional and BSE listed E-waste Management Company, is now geared to take this movement across Maharashtra besides the other major cities of the country. The company has recently
opened dedicated e-waste collection centres in the cities of Pune, Aurangabad, Bhiwandi, Ahmednagar, Sangli besides various major cities of the country. With these centres in place, the public in general in these cities has now better options to dispose their e-waste items in an environment friendly manner.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. B. K. Soni, Chairman and Managing Director of Eco Recycling Limited said that, “We have been witnessing rising levels of awareness amongst citizens of Mumbai about E-waste and its scientific disposal. Our drive to set up e-waste collection centres and bins has been very successful and looking at the need to provide e-waste collection solutions to other parts of Maharashtra, where there is an equal need for systematic collection of e-waste, we are trying to reach out all the major cities of Maharashtra gradually.”

Amongst all the States of India, the State of Maharashtra generates highest amount of e-waste and it is maintaining its position of number one State of the country in terms of consumption of electrical & electronic devices. Because of high consumption levels of electronic and electrical items and industrialisation, cities like Pune, Nasik, Aurangabad and others are also slowly becoming home of increasing e-waste. These cities need a better infrastructure to collect and dispose of e-waste in a scientific manner to maintain cities as clean as possible. The gap in the system will now be plugged off with the implementation of Ecoreco’s collection centres and Eco-Bins.

E-Waste Management Problem in India & Ecoreco’s Role:

Electronic is a driver of any growing economy and India being on the forefront certainly has many reasons to cheer because of its Digital India, Smart Cities Plans, Skill India programs etc. which are certainly not possible without the direct growth in the consumption of electronic equipment. The present generation of e-waste of 3.2 million MT is expected to touch 20 million MT by 2020 representing monetary value of recoveries from e-waste to the tune of USD 20 billion (INR 125,000 crore) by 2020.

This rapid growth of generation of e-waste is directly associated to our socio-economic growth and therefore problem is not generation but its collection, transportation and processing. Presently, more than 90% of e-waste is collected and dismantled by Kabadies, scrap collectors or rag pickers in our country and they deal with this hazardous waste keeping only profit motive in mind and in the process environment, health & safety takes back seat. 

Looking at the gap in handling e-waste, one of India’s listed corporate entities came forward with an object to resolve this on-going e-waste problem. Believing the need to have a strong bridge for communities at large, which are the key source of e-waste generation and the Kabadies who are the collectors of e-waste from communities, Eco Recycling Limited– India’s first professional E-waste Management Company – launched a social drive ‘E-Waste Mukta Bharat: Swachh Bharat’, an endeavour to contribute to the Prime Minister’s Mission of ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ to clean up India. The social drive is aimed to provide ‘E-waste Collection Centres’ to the masses, so that every item of e-waste generated, be it a computer, fridge, washing machine, electric charger, mobile handset, mobile battery, printer, cartridges, hair dryer etc. can be deposited in allocated areas at various locations.

As part of this programme, Eco Recycling Limited has planned to facilitate / install 100,000 Eco-Bins and 5000 Ecoreco Take back Points across India by 2020. The Eco-Bins specially designed to collect e-waste from people are being installed at strategic locations such as educational institutes and spiritual places of worship like Temples, Gurudwaras, Masjids, Churches, Agyaris etc.

This programme is an appeal to one and all to deposit e-waste items into the Eco-Bins installed in temples, churches or students going to schools, colleges could carry e-waste items with them and deposit in the bins at the designated places and Ecoreco Take Back Points in the respective cities. The collected e-waste gets routed for scientific recycling to Ecoreco’s facility. Eco Recycling Ltd appeals to the entire corporate sector to sponsor these Eco-Bins as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), using this ‘ready-to-participate’ platform.

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