Mini Project – “Electronic Waste Management System”

Submitted for the Partial Fulfillment towards the awards of the Degree in

Master in Business Management (MBA)

of

Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow

By

SALONI SINHA

MBA23540

Under the guidance of

Dr. SWATI RAJ

Assistant Professor
at

GL Bajaj Institute of Technology and Management

Greater Noida

SESSION- 2023-24
 Declaration

I SALONI SINHA, hereby declare that the project titled “Electronic Waste

Management System” submitted in partial fulfillment for the award of degree of

master of business administration of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University

is a bonafied record of work done by me under the guidance of Dr. SWATI RAJ,

GL BAJAJ INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT.

This report has not previously formed the basis for the award of any degree, diploma,

or similar title of any University.

SALONI SINHA
ADMISSION ID-MBA23540
MBA SEM-1 (2023-2024)
 G. L. BAJAJ
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY & MANAGEMENT
Approved by A.I.C.T.E. & affiliated to Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University

Date:

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that SALONI SINHA has undertaken this Mini Project-1 titled

“ELECTRONIC WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM” for the partial fulfillment

of the award of Master of Business Administration degree from

Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow (U. P.), India.

I wish her all the best for her bright future ahead.

Project Supervisor
Dr. SWATI RAJ
Department of Management
Studies

Head of Department
Department of Management
Studies
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I have taken efforts in this project. However, it would not have been possible

without the help and support of many individuals. I would like to express our

profound sense of deepest gratitude to my Project guide and motivator Dr.

SWATI RAJ, Management of Business Administration,

G.L BAJAJ INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND

MANAGEMENT, GREATER NOIDA for his valuable guidance,

sympathy and cooperation for providing necessary facilities and sources

during the entire period of this project. I wish to convey my sincere gratitude

to all the faculties of Management of Business Administration (MBA) who

have enlightened me during my studies.

I express my thanks to all those who helped me in one way or other.

SALONI SINHA
(NAME OF STUDENT)
Admission ID- MBA23540
 Content Page

Sl. No. Topic Page No.

1. Chapter 1 : Introduction 1

1.1. Idea Relevance 1-3

1.2. What is E-Waste 3

1.3. E-waste categories and classification 4

1.4. The business potential of e-waste and idea 4-6

feasibility
2. Chapter 2 : Market size in India 7-9

3. Chapter 3 : Business Model 10

3.1. Executive Summary 10-11

3.2. Objectives 12
3.3. Mission 12-14
3.4. Keys To Success
14
4. Chapter 4 : Major Competitor 15-16

5. Chapter 5: Technology 17-20

5.1 Emerging Technology 20-23

6. CONCLUSION 24

7. BIBLIOGRAPHY 25
 1. INTRODUCTION

“I don’t want to be an apologist for poverty, but I can’t stand waste,

useless spending, wasted energy and having to live squandering stuff”.

- Jose Mujjca

Fiqure 1: cycle of waste

1.1 : IDEA RELEVANCE

Green businesses are the key drivers of the economy in the current global

business scenario. Of the various green initiatives, waste recycling creates the

highest positive impact on the environment. Of all the different types of waste,

electronic waste has the characteristics of a) the fastest growing segment of

waste b) most valuable due to its basic composition c) very hazardous if not

handled carefully. However, the sector is very new with only a few corporate
1
players in India and globally. Most of the electronic waste management sector is

currently handled by the unorganized/ informal sector. However due to lack of

skills, knowledge, awareness, etc., the sector has remained highly labor

intensive, environmentally unfriendly and unhealthy. If done in the right way,

and in an organized fashion, e-waste management can become a dominant

economic sector. The purpose of this document is to present a project report on

electronic waste recycling as a financially rewarding business. We find that the

e-waste business is highly profitable from the economic as well as environmental

perspective. There are some established success stories around the world as well

as a few in India. However, it is perceived that the unorganized sector has a cost

advantage. Hence the organized waste management remains limited. We, at

Response, hold the opinion that the costs of the unorganized sector are not

necessarily lower than the organized sector especially when we consider three

major aspects:

a) Rising cost of labor

b) Limited efficiency of labor

c) Low quality of the final output.

The relevance of an e-waste management business model is significant and continues to

grow due to several factors:
 Environmental Concerns: As awareness of environmental issues increases, there is a
growing demand for responsible e-waste management solutions. Businesses that
offer environmentally friendly e-waste disposal and recycling services are in high
demand.

2
  Resource Recovery: E-waste contains valuable resources such as metals, plastics, and
glass that can be recovered and reused. E-waste management businesses extract
these materials through recycling processes, contributing to resource conservation
and reducing the need for raw materials.

 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Many companies are incorporating sustainable

and CSR initiatives into their business strategies. Partnering with e-waste
management firms allows businesses to demonstrate their commitment to
environmental responsibility by responsibly disposing of their electronic waste.

 Job Creation and Economic Development: This industry will create job opportunity in
areas such as recycling facilities, collection services, and R&D of recycling
technologies, contributing to economic development.

1.2 : What is E-Waste?

E-waste is electronic products that are unwanted, not working, and

nearing or at the end of their “useful life.” Computers, televisions,

VCRs, stereos, copiers, and fax machines are everyday electronic

products.

The ongoing challenge of how best to dispose of used and unwanted

electronics isn’t a new one and dates back at least to the 1970s. But a lot

has changed since then, particularly the number of electronics being

discarded today.

3
1.3 : E-Waste Categories and Classification

E-Waste is categorized by the government of India under the broad class of

hazardous waste. Within e-Waste, there are several categories such as

Large and small household appliances, electrical and electronic toys and

sporting equipment, tools, computers and related equipment etc. A detail

categorization as adopted by the Central Pollution Control Board of India

is given in Appendix I.

1.4 : The Business Potential of e-waste and idea feasibility

As per various numbers published by various research agencies, about 20 to

50 million tonnes of e-waste are generated worldwide every year. E- waste

comprises of more than 5 % of all solid waste generated and the volume is

expected to increase at a rate of 300% per annum in developing countries.

The global e-waste management market size is projected to reach USD

5.04 Billion till 2020 at an estimated CAGR of 20.6% between 2015 and

2020 from USD 1.66

Million in 2014.

4
 The whole value chain in the e-waste management consists of source for e-

waste, collection process, recycling, and recovered material for sales. In

the recycling process of e-waste, the materials such as copper, aluminum,

gold, silver, plastic, glass, and many others can be extracted. These recycled

products/materials are again utilized for the manufacturing of electronic and

non-electronic products. The material recovered from e- waste by using

different recycling techniques to make the e-waste management treatment

of waste like landfilling and incineration.

Figure 2: Distribution of value

5
 FEASIBILITY: -

Many items of e-waste can be dismantled and their component parts repurposed into

new products. E-waste recycling techniques can recover precious metals from circuit

boards and be melted down to make new devices or used for other products such as

jewelry.

The idea of recycling e-waste, or electronic waste, is not only feasible but also

increasingly necessary due to the growing amount of electronic devices being

discarded worldwide. E-waste contains valuable materials such as gold, silver, copper,

and rare earth metals, which can be recovered and reused in new electronic products.

Additionally, recycling e-waste helps prevent environmental pollution caused by

improper disposal methods like incineration or landfilling, which can release toxic

substances into the air, soil, and water.

6
 2. MARKET SIZE IN INDIA

Actual data on generation or import of e-waste is not currently available in

India. Several studies have been conducted by various agencies to find out the

inventory of e-waste in the country. Most of these studies are based on the

model of obsolescence of electronic products, which needs to be validated

with the field data. A survey was carried out by the Central Pollution Control

Board (CPCB) during 2005. It was estimated that 1.347 lakh MT of e-waste

was generated in the country in the year 2005, which is expected to increase

to about 8.0 lakh MT by 2012.

During 2007, Manufacturers’ association for Information Technology

(MAIT), India and GTZ, India had, however, carried out an inventory on

e-waste, arising out of three products: computers, mobile phones, and

televisions. The total quantities of generated e-waste in India, during 2007,

were 3, 32, 979 Metric Tonnes (MT) (Computer: 56324MT, Mobile Phones:

1655MT, and Televisions: 275000MT) (Sources: Report on “E- waste

Inventorisation in India”, MAIT-GTZ Study, 2007). The finding of the

study is given as under:

7
 Sr. Items Weight (MT)

No.

1 Domestic Generation 332979

2 Imports 50000

3 Total 382979

4 WEEE available for recycling 144143

5 WEEE actual recycled 19000

TABLE 1: E WASTE IN WEIGHT

Considering the growth rate, the volume of e-waste will reach nearly 0.7

million MT by 2015 and 2 million MT by 2025:

8
 Fiqure 3: volume of e waste

In India, among top ten cities, Mumbai ranks first in generating e-waste followed by

Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmadabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Surat and Nagpur.

The 65 cities generate more than 60% of the total generated e-waste, whereas, 10 states

generate 70% of the total e-waste. Shows the city wise generation of e- waste.

Fiqure 4: E waste in cities

9
 3. BUSINESS MODEL

3.1 Executive summary

Worldwide population is approaching 7 billion people and growing at about

80 million people per year. The superhighways of commerce in the

industrialized countries are now filled with the consumer goods of a global

economy. However, solid waste management in many of the developing

countries today is at a point where the industrialized countries were a hundred

years ago. Methods that were acceptable back then (open dumps and burning

trash) are currently being utilized around the developing world and there is

still unabated discharge of hazardous and solid waste into the ground, rivers,

and oceans. E-waste has been around since the widespread use of electricity

and product innovation created the first appliances, radios, and TVs.

Typically, e-waste has been a component of municipal solid waste, easily and

inexpensively disposed of by landfill burial. This process is described as an

open loop, single pass system and is shown in Figure 1.1. Today, an increasing

number of options are available for e- waste management. Both electrical and

electronic equipment that has served its intended first use can now be

processed for reuse, recycling, and/or end-of-life management in a closed

loop, multiple pass system

10
 similar to what is shown in Figure 1.1. There are two attributes of e-waste

that define its management issues around the world. The first is the number

and variety of toxic materials present in the enclosures and components of

electrical and electronic equipment. The second is the value and volume of

reclaimable materials (metals, plastics, and glass) available for use in new

products, which reduces the quantity of virgin, non-renewable, raw materials

mined to keep up with ever-increasing consumer demand. The e- waste

process has many key players with multiple interactions. Original equipment

manufacturers (OEMs), consumers, e-waste management companies,

logistics companies, non-government/non-profit organizations (NGOs), and

government agencies all play a role in the e-waste segment. E-waste is the

fastest- growing segment of municipal solid waste; it accounts for between

3% and 5% of incoming materials. E-waste management’s two primary

processes are refurbish/reuse/resale and recycling. However, approximately

75% to 85% of electrical and electronic equipment at the end of their first

useful life are sent directly to landfill burial or incineration. Another 10% is

stored, passed down, or donated to charity and an optimistic estimate of up to

15% is diverted for reuse and recycling

11
 3.2 : Objectives
 To enables the recovery and/or reuse of useful material from e-waste.

By reducing the hazardous wastes destined for disposal and

to ensure the environmentally sound management of all types
of waste of electrical and electronic equipment.
 By reducing the hazardous wastes destined for disposal and to
ensure the environmentally sound management of all types of
waste of electrical and electronic equipment

 To create, implement and demonstrate the impact and increased

sustainability of waste collection methodologies by using
innovative ICT solution.

 To raise awareness about recycling, saves costs and reduces GHG

emissions in compliance with the EU 2020 goals.

 Almost 30% of waste is organic waste composted and transformed into

nutritious soil. For proper disposal of waste material, the activities
required to degrade waste easily.

3.3 : Mission

 Climate change and environmental degradation have been identified as one

of the key issues plaguing us today. In that light, several national

and international mandates have been undertaken to combat those

components that harm the environment around us.

12
 National Initiatives such as Extended Producer Responsibility

(EPR); Design for Environment (DFE); Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (3Rs),

technology platform for linking the market facilitating a circular

economy aim to encourage consumers to correctly dispose their e-

waste , the National Action Plan on Climate Change by the Government of

India, the U.N Framework Convention on Climate Change by the United

Nations, and including ‘Climate Action’, and ‘Responsible Consumption and

Production’ in the U.N Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which acts as

a blueprint to ensure a sustainable future for each human.

 we have identified these issues and have been working towards

addressing them. We provide you with door-to-door services to

ensure that your e- waste is collected with convenience and

transported it to our recycling plants where we extract those parts

which can be reused and sustainably dispose the rest through in

an environment friendly way.

13
 Fiqure 5: Clean India

 To ensure that the e-waste produced, from consumers or producers,

is disposed sustainably, without negatively affecting the

environment, by reaching out to the maximum number of people

possible.

3.4 : keys to Success

 Door to door services for collection.

 to develop eco-design devices

 forbid the transfer of used electronic devices to developing

countries, and raise awareness of the impact of e-waste.

14
 4. MAJOR COMPETITORS

The Majors competitors in e-waste management are: -

 Namo E-Waste

It was founded in 2014 to make e-waste disposal sustainable and

clean across the country. To ensure accuracy, we conducted a

2-year feasibility study prior to founding

and thereafter received our Recycling

License in August, 18 months after setting

up our plant and machinery. It provides

comprehensive, effective,

and responsible recycling services to get rid of electronic

wastes. The Company has the finest technology available for

extraction of metals from e-waste and separating the hazardous

content present from the waste.

It is a Non-government company, incorporated on 13 Jan, 2014. It's

a public unlisted company and is classified as company limited by

shares. Company's authorized capital stands at Rs.200.0 lakhs and

has 49.76% paid-up capital which is Rs.99.52 lakhs.

15
  Adatte E waste company

At Adatte, they are working towards United Nations Sustainable

Development Goals like: -

a) Sustainable Cities and Communities and responsible consumption

and production

The motto of “Data Driven Urban Mining” leverages the latest technologies

to offer quality service to our clients with real-time tracking of recycling

and cloud-enabled compliance platform. It is an Indian Non- Government

Company and Company's authorized capital stands at Rs.5.0 lakhs and

has 20.0% paid-up capital which is Rs.1.0 lakhs.

Fiqure 7: Adatte company logo

16
 5: TECHNOLOGY

Our connected consumer society generates a lot of electronic waste, around

50 million tonnes per year worldwide. It is even currently the waste that shows

the strongest growth from one year to the next. The value of the raw materials

included in this waste is estimated at 50-60 billion euros, depending on materials

prices. Legislation and recycling channels for this waste are organized in many

countries, thanks to extended producer responsibility systems, but currently only 20%

is recycled in a certified process . In addition, of the sixty chemical elements present in

electronic waste, only a minority is recycled, ten in number: gold, silver, platinum,

cobalt, tin, copper, iron, aluminum and lead).

New technology is: -

 BARC
AGNIi in collaboration with BARC offers a broad spectrum of technologies for

e-waste recycling ranging from Technology for Recycling of Rare Earths from

Nd-Fe-B (Computer Hard Disk Drive: HDD) Magnetic Scrap to novel

separation techniques for Dysprosium(Dy) separation from Nd-Pr-Dy product

obtained from magnetic scrap recycling; from process for removal of mercury

and recovery of rare earth (Y, Eu, Tb) from end-of-life Compact Fluorescent

Lamps (CFLs) to Technology for the Production of Neodymium Metal

employing Metal thermi reduction technique; from Lanthanum Metal

Technology to Praseodymium Metal Technology and Cerium Metal

Technology and so on and so forth. All these technologies for e waste recycling

and urban mining for rare earth elements, valuable and hazardous

17
 elements have been carefully developed and evaluated by highly qualified

scientists at the BARC.

 New processes to increase the recycling rate

To reduce the time and cost of developing new extraction processes, we have

miniaturized and integrated in a single device microfluidics automated all the

equipment necessary for a process study. In a microfluidic device, the piping

is smaller than a millimeter (in our case 100 µm thick, the thickness of two

hairs or less). This allows very small amounts of material to be used: a few

microliters of solvents and acids instead of milliliters, and a few milligrams of

chemical compounds instead of grams. With the integration of analysis

methods (X-rays, infrared and sensors), we can study the different

combinations of parameters continuously, automatically and quickly. This

allows us to do a study in a few days which can normally take up to several

months.

Fiqure 8: zig zag pattern

18
  Recovery of rare earths: precious and little recycled materials
This approach recently allowed us to study the extraction of strategic

metals found in mobile phones. These metals, essential in modern

technologies, are produced mainly in China and are little recycled at

present – under 5%. This is all the more unfortunate as their

production is very expensive and can pose societal and environmental

problems.

Our results show that the combination of two specific extracting

molecules makes it possible to extract rare earths with an efficiency

almost 100 times greater than the efficiency of extractions with the

molecules used separately. In addition, we have demonstrated

efficient extraction at acid concentrations 10 to 100 times lower than

those used in industry, which generates less pollution. We have also

identified combinations of parameters that make it possible to

separate the rare earths much more efficiently from each other, which

is conventionally very difficult to achieve in a few steps.

 Zero-emission technology to manage and recycle

India is the third-largest producer of e-waste and has generated 3.23

MMT E- waste in 2019 alone. Paltry e-waste management makes the

situation even more challenging. Notably, e-waste contains several

toxic materials such as lead, cadmium, chromium, brominated flame

19
 retardants, or polychlorinated biphenyls. Therefore, unregulated

accumulation, landfilling, or inappropriate recycling processes poses

a severe threat to human health and the environment. The zero-

emission technology is an outcome of a Department of Science and

Technology, Government of India, funded project and the developed

technology will cater to the need of “Smart Cities,” “Swachh Bharat

Abhiyan,” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiatives of the government.

20
 5.1: EMERGING TECHNOLOGY

1. Artificial intelligence

Fiqure 7: Artificial intelligence in e-waste

Artificial Intelligence Techniques (AIT) are being developed for

managing e- waste, especially based on prevailing strategies such as Life

Cycle Assessment (LCA), Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA), and

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). In the e-waste management

21
 sector, eco-design systems must be created, e- waste properly processed,

recycled, and reused content through safe methods, e-waste disposed of

using appropriate techniques, used electronic devices cannot be

transferred to developing countries, and the burden of e-waste should be

increased. Artificial intelligence-based MCA and EPR is a reasonable

approach to address the increasing problems with e-wastes.

1. Photovoltaic cell

Solar photovoltaic technology is an efficient option to generate

electricity from solar energy and mitigate climate change. Although

the development and growth of solar photovoltaics has had a positive

impact on energy system decarbonization, but end- of-life solar panels

might become toxic waste if not properly disposed of. Presently in

India, approximately 200,000tonnes of solar photovoltaic waste are

expected to be produced by 2030 and 1.8 million tonnes by 2050, by

which time solar waste could grow to 60million tonnes globally. Solar

waste has recently been included in the category of waste electrical

and electronic equipment to restrict the negative influence of continual

development. Recent advancements have been focused only on

increasing the efficiency of solar photovoltaic panels without

considering the impact of waste solar panels on the environment and

the issue of appropriate disposal of waste panels.

22
 2. Cathode Ray technology

Most electronic waste can be recycled. The recycling of the various

components contained in e-waste, such as metal, plastic, and circuit

boards, is often more efficient than their production from raw materials.

For this reason, e-waste is a possible source of economic benefits.

However, since these types of waste are often composed of different

types of substances and are disposed by consumers in inappropriate

ways, the additional expenditure incurred in the collection, storage,

and disintegration, reduces the recycling rate. For technology

products that are no longer in demand, such as CRT, it is not profitable

to recycle them to be used in the production of CRT.

23
 6: CONCLUSION

E-waste recycling is necessary but it should be conducted in a safe and

standardized manor. When possible, e-waste should be refurbished and reused

as a complete product instead of dismantled. When refurbishment in not

possible, e-waste should be dismantled by trained, protected, and well-

compensated workers in technologically advanced e-waste recycling facilities

in both developed and developing countries. There are several fundamental

principles from which all e-waste regulation should be based on. First,

acceptable risk thresholds for hazardous, secondary e-waste substances should

not be different for developing and developed countries. However, the

acceptable thresholds should be different for children and adults given the

physical differences and pronounced vulnerabilities of children. Completely

eliminating the presence of toxic components in EEE, although efficient, is

not realistic. Although there are research needs, educational and awareness

programs on the potential risks of e-waste recycling also should be developed

and implemented. These programs are of vital importance in developing

countries. Improving occupational conditions for all e-waste workers and

striving for the eradication of child labor is non-negotiable. Interventions

should be specific to the local culture, the geography, and the limitations

of the particularly vulnerable

communities.
24
 7: BIBLIOGRAPHY

A. BOOKS:

Rakesh johri. E-waste: Implications, Regulations, and Management in India and

Current Global Best Practices. Energy and Resources Institute:2008.

B. JOURNAL ARTICLES

Federico Magalini (UNU) and, Matthias Kern (UNEP), Evelyn Kortum

(WHO), and Graham Alabaster (WHO) . E-Waste: A Global Hazard.
Volume number 80 and 2014.Pages 286-295.

C. WEBLINKS

WWW.GOOGLE.COM,
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214999614003208
http://www.pacebutler.com/.

D. PROJECT WORK AND THESIS

Dr. S. Chatterjee. Electronic Waste and India. Department of
Information Technology Electronics Niketan, 6, C.G.O. Complex
New Delhi-110 003, India, sandip@mit.gov.in

25
 THANK YOU

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