Abstract |
Background. As in many other developing countries e-waste or waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is increasingly generated and processed in India. In 2009 it was estimated that 420’000t of WEEE were generated (Heimbuch 2009). The origin of the waste is from national consumption but also from waste imports (around 50’000 t). 95% of India’s e-waste is recycled and processed by the informal sector (Rochat et al. 2008: 478). The inappropriate techniques the informal recyclers apply have negative impacts on the environment and human health but also lead to the loss of valuable materials such as gold, silver or copper. Due to these and other relevant problems India is formalising its waste management system which includes the management of ewaste. Contracting private companies to deliver this public service is one current practice. Such public-privatepartnerships (PPP) result in a competition between formal and informal recycling businesses and have negative impacts on the livelihoods of the e-waste workers. On the basis of existing approaches and practices several studies have been conducted to develop models for sustainable e-waste management in India. They suggest public-private-partnerships models that include both, the informal sector as well as private companies. However, these models give basic recommendation, are focused on technical aspects and it is questionable if they really take into account the e-waste workers at the bottom end.
Objective. The objective of the study is to analyse the socio-economic profile and the capacity of the workers involved in informal recycling in the district of Ahmedabad.
Collectors, distributors and repairers will be questioned in order to assess socio-economical factors such as social information (caste, religion, origin, family, education), information on e-waste business (area, work space, tools and materials, business network, problems) employment (social security, working hours, income) and capacity (role in the recycling chain, input and output, competences and impacts).
The key question is:
- What are the characteristics of the workers who are involved in informal recycling and how are they segmented?
Partners Rajesh Bhat, Swapath Trust, Ahmedabad, India Rita Schneider-Sliwa and Claudia Saalfrank, Institute of Geography/Urban and Regional Studies, University of Basel |