Hyderabad City stares at e-waste conundrum

Hyderabad: E-waste is a growing threat to the environment with smartphones being a major contributor. Two million tonnes of e-waste are contributed by India alone. According to a joint survey conducted by Cerebra Green, an e-waste management firm, and Manufacturers Association of Information and Technology (MAIT), nearly half of Hyderabad hoards e-waste for years. However, the study reveals, Hyderabad is also highly interested to give their e-waste to e-waste collectors for free if the waste is being disposed of safely not polluting the environment.

91mobiles.com, India's largest gadget discovery site, recently conducted a survey across the country to understand phone recycling habits of smartphone users. The pan-India survey saw participation from over 15,000 smartphone users.

What they do with old/unused phones

Only 9% of the smartphone users in Hyderabad recycle their old phones while upgrading to a newer one. 55% of smartphone users in Hyderabad have at least 1 spare phone in their house, whereas 12% have more than 5 unused smartphones lying around.

Willingness to recycle old phones

16% of smartphone users in Hyderabad have never considered recycling their outdated phones. Another 20.6% said they kept their old smartphones because they didn't get best trade-in value. Although 65% of smartphone users in Hyderabad are aware of the environmental benefits of phone recycling, only 20% are ready to recycle to contribute to the environment. 6.9% of smartphone users in Hyderabad are against recycling their old phones

Incentives needed to encourage recycling

58% of smartphone users in Hyderabad would recycle their old phone for cash. Another 17% and 5.4% of smartphone users would recycle their old phone in exchange for discount coupons and gift cards. Only 12% would willingly recycle their outdated devices to save the environment.

Nitin Mathur, Co-founder & CEO, 91Mobiles.com, says: "India is among the world's top 5 e-waste generators and produced 2 million tonnes of e-waste annually hence we believe, recycling them is the need of the hour. With new smartphones hitting the market on a daily basis, it is imperative to tell people how they can recycle their unwanted smartphones in an environment-friendly and safe way.

"It was appalling to witness that almost 65% of smartphone users in Hyderabad are aware of the environmental hazards of e-waste but still have not considered e-recycling their mobile phones. Hence, through our Pledge to Recycle initiative, we are trying to educate people on the harm caused by e-waste and help them find platforms to recycle or sell their unwanted products," he added.E-waste is a growing threat to the environment with smartphones being a major contributor.

Two million tonnes of e-waste are contributed by India alone. According to a joint survey conducted by Cerebra Green, an e-waste management firm, and Manufacturers Association of Information and Technology (MAIT), nearly half of Hyderabad hoards e-waste for years. However, the study reveals, Hyderabad is also highly interested to give their e-waste to e-waste collectors for free if the waste is being disposed of safely not polluting the environment.

91mobiles.com, India's largest gadget discovery site, recently conducted a survey across the country to understand phone recycling habits of smartphone users. The pan-India survey saw participation from over 15,000 smartphone users.

What they do with old/unused phones

Only 9% of the smartphone users in Hyderabad recycle their old phones while upgrading to a newer one. 55% of smartphone users in Hyderabad have at least 1 spare phone in their house, whereas 12% have more than 5 unused smartphones lying around.

Willingness to recycle old phones

16% of smartphone users in Hyderabad have never considered recycling their outdated phones. Another 20.6% said they kept their old smartphones because they didn't get best trade-in value. Although 65% of smartphone users in Hyderabad are aware of the environmental benefits of phone recycling, only 20% are ready to recycle to contribute to the environment. 6.9% of smartphone users in Hyderabad are against recycling their old phones

Incentives needed to encourage recycling

58% of smartphone users in Hyderabad would recycle their old phone for cash. Another 17% and 5.4% of smartphone users would recycle their old phone in exchange for discount coupons and gift cards. Only 12% would willingly recycle their outdated devices to save the environment.

Nitin Mathur, Co-founder & CEO, 91Mobiles.com, says: "India is among the world's top 5 e-waste generators and produced 2 million tonnes of e-waste annually hence we believe, recycling them is the need of the hour. With new smartphones hitting the market on a daily basis, it is imperative to tell people how they can recycle their unwanted smartphones in an environment-friendly and safe way.

"It was appalling to witness that almost 65% of smartphone users in Hyderabad are aware of the environmental hazards of e-waste but still have not considered e-recycling their mobile phones. Hence, through our Pledge to Recycle initiative, we are trying to educate people on the harm caused by e-waste and help them find platforms to recycle or sell their unwanted products," he added.

What is e-waste?

Electronics waste, commonly known as e-scrap and e-waste, is the trash we generate from surplus, broken and obsolete electronic devices. (https://www.thebalancesmb.com)

Disposing of mobile phones

Up to 80 per cent of a phone is recyclable, so don't send it to landfill or leave it in the drawer - recycle it! Most charities accept old mobile phones, whether they are working or not. They can raise valuable funds by passing them on to mobile phone recycling companies. (www.recyclenow.com)

Are old mobile phones worth anything?

According to findings from Talkmobile, 56.8 per cent of people are harbouring an old phone with experts saying that some 'retro' handsets, are worth a 'small fortune'. ... Other Nokia phones like the N95, could be worth between £60-£90 and the 9000 could make you up to £500. (www.unilad.co.uk)

What is the problem with e waste?

When electronics end up in landfills, toxics like lead, mercury, and cadmium leach into the soil and water. The electronic waste problem is huge: More than 20 million tons of e-waste are produced every year. (ifixit.org/ewaste)

What happens when you recycle?

Even if you sell a mobile phone that is broken, many of its components can still be reused or recycled. ... The nickel contained in broken mobile phone batteries could be used in stainless steel saucepans. Mobiles also contain a large amount of plastic which is widely recyclable.Nov 30, 2012 (www.mazumamobile.com)

KEY FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY

1. Only 9% of the smartphone users in Hyderabad recycle their old phones while upgrading to a newer one.
2. 55% of smartphone users in Hyderabad have at least 1 spare phone in their house, whereas 12% have more than 5 unused smartphones lying around.
3. 16% of smartphone users in Hyderabad have never considered recycling their outdated phones.
4. Another 20.6% said they kept their old smartphones because they didn't get best trade-in value.
5. Although 65% of smartphone users in Hyderabad are aware of the environmental benefits of phone recycling
6. But, only 20% are ready to recycle to contribute to the environment. 6.9% of smartphone users in Hyderabad are against recycling their old phones
7. 58% of smartphone users would recycle their old phone for cash.
8. Another 17% and 5.4% of smartphone users would recycle their old phone in exchange for discount coupons and gift cards.
9. Only 12% would willingly recycle their outdated devices to save the environment