Over 3.5 tonnes of e-waste collected for safe disposal by TNPCB in Madurai

A total of 3,586 kilograms of e-waste was collected during a mass drive conducted by the officials of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board here on Thursday.

The day-long camp drew individuals from various institutions, including NGOs, local bodies and educational institutions, who handed over their e-waste at the camp, officials said.

The objective of the drive was to educate the public to dispose the e-waste in a safe manner, which would not affect the eco-system. The TNPCB had invited an authorised e-waste cycler company from Chennai and the team registered the participants names and the e-waste received from them.

The local bodies alone handed over close to 1,000 kg of e-waste at MADITSSIA Hall held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The officials said the e-waste collected here was the highest in the southern districts and similar camps would be held in the future.

The officials sensitised the participants to the need for safe disposal and emphasised that the e-waste, if not cleared in a scientific method, might harm the eco-system.

A senior TNPCB official said it was overwhelming to have a large number of participants joining the drive at the camp. “With current trend in increasing generation of e-waste, improper disposal poses a significant threat to the environment, mainly due to toxic substances used in electronic items such as lead, cadmium, mercury and brominated flame retardants, which affects the quality of environment and human health, if not disposed of scientifically,” he added.