e-Waste Management in Bangladesh

e-Waste Management & Challenges in Bangladesh

e-waste management in bangladesh is very critical condition. There is no policy and plan yet though 15% of total e-waste of the world is being producing here.

Celebration of Digital world is going on. It is started on 9 Feb and will end on 12 Feb 2015. On behalf of Digital World 2015 a seminar was organized on e-Waste management and it’s challenges in the Bangabandhu Convention center today on Feb 11, 2015. I was attended on the conference. Many important discussions and proposals have come out from the discussion. Causes of e-waste were disclosed by the panelists and guests who were present in the meeting.  Possible ways to face this challenge was also discussed.

Mr Mahbub Hossain, EX President of BASIS, Mr Mahbub Alam  (Chairman of Wintel) Dr. Subhan Environment expert, Eng Mr Shariar of Kenwood,  Bangladesh Computer Samity Director  were present as  the special guests in the conference.

Lets’s know what is e-Waste? Though there is no specific definition of e-waste but we can say those electric and electronics product which are used in household and business purpose and have reached in  end of its useful life can be defined as e-waste.

Though worldwide in many countries there are policy for e-waste management but in Bangladesh it is still is vulnerable condition. From the policymaker and from Ministry of Environment of Bangladesh there is no policy and objective is introduced about this serious environmental aspect.

It is a matter of frustration that from the government official who are in the power nobody was present in this important symposium. From the meeting many things were identified. However, we hope government will take master plan to manage e-waste management policy. In 2011 some proposals were come from DOE by Fazle Rabbi but still there is no any implementation process yet. It shows government’s negligence about e-waste management in Bangladesh.

According to Eng Mr Shariar’s statement  around 3 hundred thousand metric ton of e-waste are producing  domestically and another 7 hundred  hundred thousand comes from import most of them are illegal and unauthorized expired e-wastes. So, total around one million metric ton e-waste is going to stock in Bangladesh which is around 15% of total e-waste of the world. It is really a great concern for a under developed and small country Bangladesh.

Various kinds of electric and electronic products including mobile phone, computer, old ship, computer used car, equipments and machinery etc are the major parts of producing ewaste in the country.  Around  two million mobile set are importing according to Mr. Mahbub’s statement.

Around 30 kinds of hazardous components are found in those ewaste. Among them Cadmium, chromium, Lead and mercury are most harmful component. Those are polluting our land, water and finally public health.

Mr Subhan said”in the air of Dhaka the quantity of Lead is 463 which is much lower in Bombay 360 and in Mexico it is 383 mili micron” So, still Dhaka is the most polluted city among others in the world. In this regard Bangladesh government should stop import used car from Japan to reduce the lead level in Dhaka’s air.

From the discussion it was come out that the following things are responsible of making ewaste in the country:

  • Rapid change of technology
  • Rapid expansion of internet facilities
  • Lack of regulations on import electronic and electric and transport product
  • Blind fallowness
  • Lac of awareness
  • No policy in this issue

Possible ways to Control e-Wastes:

  • Create awareness among the consumers nationwide.
  • Introduce replacement policy for mobile sellers/manufacturers
  • Green product using habit
  • Introduce regulation and law
  • Set accountable authority
  • Introduce recycling policy
  • Award giving program to the consumers
  • Manufacturing time there should be policy about recycling
  • Introducing a subject in school and college about e-wastes management
  • Government can encourage to establish recycling industry like AZIZU Reclycling

As an ISO Lead auditor I can suggest to government to introduce regulation for mobile, computer, used car, electronics and electrical products importers, ship breakers for adopting EMS/ISO 14001 Standard which is the international guideline for managing e-waste effectively.  Advanced Assessment Services is the authorized Certification Body Agent in Bangladesh who are providing Environmental Management System Certificate at the lowest price. You can contact with the company here