Drop off e-waste at these Bangalore One centres

The bE initiative has setup e-Waste collection at Bangalore One centres in 10 wards so far. 3 tonnes of e-waste has been collected and 830 kgs of carbon emissions reduced!

Bengaluru produces an estimated two lakh tonnes of e-waste annually. But 90% of this goes to landfills or scrap dealers who then sell it to illegal recyclers.

bE-Responsible is an initiative for Environmentally Responsible Collection and Recycling of e- waste in Bangalore. We have launched a campaign is to encourage people to drop e-waste at collection points at Bangalore One centres. Twenty-three students of Christ College have volunteered for this drive.

This initiative which was started in January 2017 has collected e-waste and reached out to around 40,000 individuals through our campaigns and outreach programs. What has been done thus far: 

  • 3 tonnes of e-waste collected
  • 830 kgs of carbon emissions reduced
  • Diverted 17 Kg of toxic metals from landfills
  • Recovered 200 kg of total metals

E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams and India is the 5th largest generator of e-waste. Bangalore is the 3rd largest generator of e-waste in the country and is producing close to 100,000 tons of e-waste annually which is likely to grow by 500% by 2020.  Presently in India, more than 90% of e-waste ends up in the informal sector for recycling with serious repercussions on human health and the environment. The informal sector works on a small scale with minimal facilities and equipment to take care of the hazardous elements like lead, mercury, cadmium etc. present in the e-waste. E-waste also has some REE (rare earth elements) that need to be extracted and recycled efficiently which can only be done in well-equipped facilities. 

The bE-Responsible programme has been initiated by Saahas and Environmental Synergies in Development (ENSYDE) to create awareness and facilitate the collection of household electronic waste (e-waste) in Bangalore. The e-waste collected through this program will be routed to authorized e-waste recyclers. 

The bE-Responsible program in its first phase is being implemented in 10 wards in South Bangalore, creating awareness about the problems due to improper disposal of e-waste and showing the right way to dispose. The awareness program has been conducted in households and institutions (schools, colleges, hospitals, offices, retail, etc.) through workshops, campaigns, emails, and social media. The awareness drive is supported by the on-ground collection system which includes door-to-door collection drives, drop off boxes at Bangalore One Centres and a mobile collection van.

As part of the program, e-waste drop-off boxes have been placed in select Bangalore One centres in south Bangalore which are secure, easily accessible to the public and are open on all seven days of the week.  The success of this program will help reduce the damage being caused to the environment by non-scientific methods used in dismantling and recycling of e-waste by the informal sector. We plan to expand the reach of the program to other zones of Bangalore in future.

Bangalore One centers:

  1. Jayanagar BBMP complex, 2nd block 
  2. BDA shopping complex Banasankri
  3. Jayanagar 4th Block opposite  Usha apartments
  4. Gurappanpalya behind Hopcoms, 7th main, BTM 1st stage
  5. JP Nagar mini forest 3rd phase 80 feet road near Hopcoms
  6. JP Nagar BESCOM building, 1st phase
  7. Arakere Mico layout
  8. RBI layout BBMP building, JP Nagar 7th phase
  9. Koramangala NGV, new shopping complex
  10. Jayanagar 5th Block
  11. Drop box at post office – Jayanagar 3rd block & JP Nagar 6th phase 

About SAAHAS and ENSYDE :

Saahas was founded in 2001 and is a non-profit organization who has been a pioneer in the field of waste management. Its programs focus on “Source Segregation” and “Decentralized Waste Management”. Saahas builds sustainable solutions for different waste streams and also focuses on strengthening capacities of public institutions like the Municipal Corporation as well as supports progressive policies around waste management.

Environmental Synergies in Development (ENSYDE) founded in 2003 is not for profit Trust providing turnkey services in environmental design solutions & awareness. Through the various projects and initiatives, ENSYDE has assisted clients in CSR, extending and improving markets, creating new markets, particularly ensuring sustainability through new avenues and markets. ENSYDE has assisted over 50 companies in the integration of environmental sustainability into their business operations and planning. 

Contact: 9880791171/9845176883

 

 

Comments:

  1. Krish Shri says:

    Can anyone throw some light on safe disposal of CFL bulbs?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Similar Story

Garudachar palya: The “hot spot” in Whitefield’s IT Hub

Examining the heat island effect in densely built-up Garudachar Palya ward in Whitefield’s IT Hub, which also has limited tree cover.

Garudachar Palya is part of Mahadevapura constituency, with an area of 6.5 sq km, which includes four revenue villages — Garudachar Palya, Hoodi, Seegehalli, and Nallurahalli. These villages have stayed mostly the same, while the city has expanded around them with more organised development from the BDA. This mismatch has led to issues like narrow village lanes becoming crowded with traffic, as they’re now used as shortcuts to bypass main roads. Looking at population growth, between 2011 and 2024, the ward has seen an estimated increase of 62.24%. This rapid growth adds to the existing strain on infrastructure. Ward no…

Similar Story

Saving Dwarka Forest: Citizens approach apex court to protect forest land near Delhi airport

Delhi’s Dwarka Forest has seen brazen destruction thanks to a railway redevelopment project. A recent SC stay order has raised hopes.

According to a recent World Bank report, India presently accounts for a meagre 1.8% of the global forest cover. Even more concerning is the fact that an enormous ‘46,759 acres of forest-land have been sanctioned for mining’ across the country, over the course of the last five years, by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) itself. According to many ace climate scientists and researchers, our planet has already hit “the tipping point”. In this backdrop, the people’s struggle to save Dwarka Forest, one of the last remaining natural forest lands in a choking capital city, is a…