Siliconindia Magazine

Taruna E-Waste Industries: Driving Responsible E-Waste Management through Awareness & Innovation

In 2023, India generated over 1.6 million tons of e-waste, making it the third-largest contributor to global e-waste, according to the United Nations’ Global E-Waste Monitor. Yet only around 22 percent of this waste is collected and recycled through formal channels. This raises a critical question: if most of our e-waste isn’t reaching proper recycling systems, where is it going? The answer highlights a deeper issue, public unawareness. Most people unknowingly hand over their discarded electronics to informal garbage collectors for a small sum. These collectors dismantle devices in unsafe, unregulated conditions, releasing hazardous substances like lead and mercury into the environment.