One of the prominent taglines for the 21st century could be that we are surrounded by electronic devices. From smartphones and laptops to refrigerators, electrical and electronic equipment have gradually become an extension of human survival. At the end of November 2023, the total number of mobile phone users in Bangladesh stood at over 190 million. As the country’s usage of electrical and electronic devices rises over the years, the amount of E-Waste is also skyrocketing. Bangladesh produces three million metric tons of E-Waste each year with an annual growth rate of 30%, making the country one of the top 10 e-scraps producing nations in the world. However, only three percent of the E-Waste generated is recycled in Bangladesh, leaving the rest of the 97% in legacy dumpsites. The crucial question is what Bangladesh’s public and private sectors should do once we decide to part ways with our devices. In other words, how Bangladesh’s government and businesses together can effectively fix the country’s massive E-Waste problem.
The E-waste management process starts with the collection and segregation of e-waste to supply the scraps to the E-Waste processors, recyclers, and manufacturers. In the status quo, the collection of E-Waste is largely dominated by the informal sector, consisting of small and large-scale scrap dealers, locally called ‘bhangaris.’ One of the biggest challenges facing the developing world is dealing with their informal sector since a huge population of these countries’ working force is out of the government’s reach. Instead of eliminating individuals employed in the informal sector, governments and businesses across the developing world should find ways to leverage them, work alongside them, and gradually integrate them into the formal economy in the long run.
These local bhangariwalas go door-to-door and ask for obsolete phones, laptops, batteries, and other devices from households so that they can buy the e-scrapes and then either sell them to large scrap dealers and/or recyclers or extract valuable materials on their own. These e-wastes are filled with valuable materials such as gold, silver, copper, tin, glass, plastic, etc., which attract local scrap dealers to extract these substances while exposing themselves to health risks. As the local scrap dealers and recyclers do not follow standard ways to extract materials and dispose of the e-wastes, it poses both health and environmental risks as these e-wastes contain hazardous materials and toxic pollutants, including lead, mercury, cadmium, etc. Thus, a well-managed collection, segregation, treatment, and disposal system has to be put in place to solve Bangladesh’s e-waste bottleneck.
When it comes to e-waste collection, Bangladesh’s local governments, i.e., city corporations, and businesses can take lessons from India’s first planned industrial city, Jamshedpur, or Tatanagar. The city authority has hired Hulladek, an electronic waste management company, to collect the e-waste and channel it to recyclers and producers. Two Hulladek E-rickshaws and 80 city administration vehicles go door-to-door each month to collect E-waste from households and offices. A toll-free number has been provided so that inhabitants can schedule a pick-up of their e-scraps. Besides, the city administration runs awareness campaigns to inform their citizens to properly dispose of their e-waste. On the other hand, a US-based waste management company, Recycle Track Systems (RTS), has launched a waste management mobile application for on-demand trash collection, including e-waste.
In Bangladesh, the local government’s (city corporations, pourashavas) intent to build a zero e-waste nation by collaborating with the private sector is pivotal to its success. In 2021, the Government of Bangladesh promulgated the “Hazardous Waste (E-Waste) Management Rules 2021.” Section 23 of the rules delineates the three core responsibilities of government agencies. First, all the pertinent government agencies, including the local government, will monitor the entire e-waste management in Bangladesh. Secondly, and more importantly, city corporations and pourashavas will identify a specific place to dispose of the e-waste in places where household wastes are stored. And lastly, the government will inform citizens to send their e-waste to pertinent stakeholders.
While Jamshedpur is leading the way in E-Waste management by enforcing the law, Bangladesh is plagued by lax enforcement of rules. Without strict enforcement of the E-Waste Management Rules 2021, the country’s e-scrap management will be left behind compared to other countries such as India and the US.
Businesses focusing on E-Waste collection can build a centralized aggregator platform in the form of a mobile application where households and offices can sell their E-Waste for a fair price. Then the aggregator will sell the junk to E-Waste processors, recyclers, and even Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM). Drawing inspiration from RTS, data, and AI can drive the mobile app. Households or offices will send their E-Waste pick-up request to the aggregator platform. Then either the aggregator-affiliated bhangariwala will go to the pick-up location to collect E-Waste or the aggregator’s employees, just like Hulladek, will visit the premises. As bypassing the syndicates of local scrap dealers at once is near impossible, incorporating them into the aggregator’s business model by inking partnerships will enable Bangladesh to leverage its massive informal sector.
However, for individuals who are not tech-savvy, particularly the low- and low-middle-income segment of Bangladesh, only a mobile app won’t fix their e-waste problem. Instead, the aggregator platforms can provide a phone number where individuals can call and make their pick-up request to the aggregator platform. In this way, a robust door-to-door e-waste collection system can be built with the support of the private sector.
Still, the problem remains: why would people prioritise finding the e-scrap from their homes and go through the hassle of either using the app or calling the phone number so that their e-waste gets recycled? There are potentially two solutions to this bottleneck. Firstly, monetary incentives can be provided by both the government and aggregator platforms. At present, households and offices sell their e-waste to the bhangariwala, who shows up at their doorstep and buys at a fixed rate for each kilogram of e-scrap. Consequently, e-waste-selling individuals, households, or offices are not receiving the fair price they deserve. Aggregator platforms can fill in the gap by assessing the salvage value of the e-waste and providing a fair price to the sellers while buying the scraps. In this way, individuals and organizations can turn trash into cash, becoming an alternative income stream. In addition, the Government of Bangladesh can offer tax incentives to organizations and companies committed to recycling their e-waste.
Secondly, an important piece of this puzzle is awareness – whether citizens are actually informed enough to take all these hassles to sell their e-waste. As we have seen in the status quo, even if individuals are somewhat getting paid for their e-waste when they sell it to scrap dealers, they are not willing to take some time off from their schedule to search for electronic junk in their homes. Section 22(3) of the Hazardous Waste (E-Waste) Management Rules 2021, which outlines the government’s role in awakening the masses, will be instrumental if implemented. The Ministry of Forest, Environment, and Climate Change, 12 city corporations, and 328 pourashavas in Bangladesh must undertake several awareness campaigns targeting various population segments – from lower to upper-income classes, from rural to suburban and urban areas. At the same time, aggregator platforms, dismantlers, recyclers, and manufacturers should design marketing campaigns that promote their own businesses while educating citizens about the necessity of e-waste management.
Besides door-to-door collection, an extensive collection network has to be built, targeting key locations where individuals can easily dispose of their e-waste. For instance, universities can be a critical collection point for e-waste, where local governments or even businesses, by collaborating with the respective universities, can set up their own small collection stalls. University students use a variety of devices, which they tend to upgrade after 2 to 3 years. Thus, the necessity for university students to dispose of their e-waste can be solved at a place where they spend most of their time. To target professionals in need of discarding their e-waste, small collection points can be set up either by the organization or the company’s own volition (which will be run by the organization itself) or by partnering with aggregator platforms in their office premises. At the same time, collection points can be established in local bazaars (markets), supermarkets, and shopping centres, covering individuals from various socio-economic backgrounds.
A strong focus on capacity building is critical to the success of an effective e-waste management system. The government and businesses should heavily invest in training Bangladeshi youth to become employable in the e-waste management industry. From collecting the e-waste to removing valuable materials from the devices and safely disposing of the remains, the e-waste management industry needs a huge pool of skilled individuals who can pave the path in building a zero e-waste Bangladesh.
Author: Shah Adaan Uzzaman
