Threats of e-waste loom large

Bangladesh is under a potent threat from surging e-waste, which is generated from electronic goods and devices and has serious impact on  environment, human health and the economy.

However, officials from the government agencies and environment experts, speaking at a roundtable yesterday, could not provide facts and figures to give a clear idea of how much e-waste is actually generated in the country every year and its impact.

Speakers said both the public and private sectors need to join hands to solve the problem.

“Let the private sector come in to mitigate the problem and we will facilitate,” said Anwar Hossain Monju, environment and forests minister.

The programme was organised by The Daily Star, in association with Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS), and International Centre for Climate Change and Development, at The Daily Star Centre.

Globally, 40 million tonnes of e-waste are produced each year, said Moinul Islam Sharif, senior fellow of BCAS, in a presentation.

“We have global numbers, even numbers from our neighbouring countries, but we have never worked on it. We have never estimated our position,” he said.

The US tops the chart of e-waste producers, generating 10.32 million tonnes, while the EU produces 10 million tonnes, China 7.99 million tonnes, India 3.03 million tonnes and Japan 3.02 million tonnes.

“Without an estimate on the amount of e-waste, how can we plan?” said AKM Mamunur Rashid, climate change specialist of the United Nations Development Programme. “Before we solve the problem, we need to do a proper study immediately.”

A Atiq Rahman, executive director of BCAS, said, “We are generating more e-waste than other countries given the size of our economy. We have no estimation on it either. That's why we are facing a serious threat.”

There are some companies working to manage e-waste in different places in the city, but it is not being done in a proper manner, speakers said.

In another presentation, Naureen Shafinaz Mahboob, project manager of EHS Business Solutions, said the country imported 6.3 crore mobile handsets and 3.92 lakh air conditions in the last three years.

Quazi Sarwar Imtiaz Hashmi, additional director general of the Department of Environment, said in Japan and Korea, different departments of their city corporation manage and recycle e-waste.

“We can take lessons from them but we need to solve our problems in our own way,” he said.

“In developing countries, waste is mostly managed under private initiatives and we can do that in our country as well,” said the environment and forests minister.

Mohammad Shahidul Haque, legislative and parliamentary affairs division secretary, said a single organisation cannot manage it; a combined initiative is needed.

Mahsin Habib, managing director of a local recycling company -- Radiant Renewable Energy Ltd, said if the government gives them some incentive, they can play a role.

Khandakar Rakibur Rahman, additional secretary of the environment and forests ministry, said they have been trying for the last four years to formulate a policy for waste management and within a short time, they will present it.

Brig Gen Shahedul Anam Khan (retd), editor of Op-Ed and Strategic Affairs at The Daily Star, and Rowshan Mamtaz, a teacher of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, also spoke.