Jaipur, Rajasthan: India, being the second largest mobile phone market with 1.03 billion subscribers, is the first largest producer of e-waste. Our country discards 18.5 lakh metric tonnes of electronic waste each year, with computer equipment accounting for 70 percent, and telecom, 12 percent (Source: WHO study of 2014). The most dreaded information is that in India, about 4-5 lakh child labourers in the age group of 10-15 years are observed to be engaged in various e-waste activities, without adequate protection and safeguards.
With the alarming rise in the use of electronics and electrical products, the volume is only going to rise. As per a study by ASSOCHAM, it is said to be growing at a rate of 33 percent cumulative every year, and with all produce and dump happening across India, it is said to have a 500 percent increase in e-waste over the next decade.
In support of environmental conservation threatened by the increasing electronics items lying idle around us, Intex Technologies, a recognised mobile and consumer durables India brand, launched a pan-India e-Waste Collection campaign named ‘Go Green’. Under the campaign, Intex is stipulating phase-wise collection of e-waste items, beginning with at least 30 percent of estimated quantity of waste generation during first two years of implementation, taking it gradually to over 70 percent. For the same, Intex is organising mass awareness programmes on e-waste management and safe disposal of electronic waste by tying up with prominent schools, colleges, residential societies and institutions.
To encourage people in driving the campaign and giving out e-waste items, Intex is also giving special offers on its entire product portfolio available at Intex SmartWorld stores by providing value add to consumers in future purchases and against any brand products. The campaign was flagged off in Rajasthan. There are eight SmartWorld stores with three stores in Jaipur. Intex has established 84 E-Waste Collection Centres in Rajasthan with eleven centres in Jaipur.
Intex has been continually making regular upgrades to comply all perspective of environmental conservation through partner associations for handling and management of electronic and electrical waste, in no ways ending at a landfill. For the PAN-India collection mechanism, Intex has partnered with a prominent recycling company – Exigo Recycling. The Recycling Partner has been given clear mandates for Rajasthan as well across India as per Intex’s internal process and also is responsible for end-to-end recycling.