Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) or E-Waste, the most rapidly growing waste globally refers to obsolete, unwanted Electrical/Electronic devices that have reached end of life. WEEE contains more than 1000 different substances which fall under 'hazardous' and 'non-hazardous' categories. Broadly it consists of plastics, glass, printed circuit boards, ceramics, rubber, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, elements like lead, mercury, cadmium, silver, gold, platinum etc. Recycling of e-waste involves toxic processes such as open burning of Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) wires, acid bath, use of chemicals such as Mercury and Cyanide, heating of lead solders, etc. 95% of this waste is headed towards urban slums of developing countries like India and china for disassembly by a very well networked informal sector. The informal sector is characterized by small-scale, labour-intensive, largely unregulated and unregistered, low-technology manufacturing or provision of services. In the context of municipal solid waste management (MSWM), the informal recycling sector workforce includes scavengers and waste pickers. Since the informal sector operates without any government intervention, people from the lower strata of society employed in these recycling units are prone to various health problems due to lack of protection (no masks, no gloves).

Electronic waste emissions policies recycling