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European Union missions organise an e-waste collection drive to raise awareness on responsible management of e-waste to mark the International E-waste Day

To mark the International E-waste Day, European Union Delegation to India along with 6 Embassies of the EU member states in India organised an e-waste drive. The objective of the e-waste drive was to contribute to raising awareness on the need for sustainable management of the 57 million tonnes of all e-waste generated globally.

The drive was supported by the EU’s Resource Efficiency Initiative in partnership with Karo Sambhav, which is a tech-enabled, environmentally beneficial, and socially responsible e-waste Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) for responsible management of e-waste.

The following EU member states including Austria, Denmark, Luxembourg, Belgium, France, Slovak along with the EU Delegation to India participated in the drive. The e-waste drive started at the Austrian Embassy’s Commercial Section in Sunder Nagar at 11:00am followed by collection at the Embassy of Luxembourg in Jor Bagh, at the French, Danish, and Belgium Embassies located in Chanakyapuri. Finally, the drive ended at 4.00pm at the Residence of the European Union. The e-waste thus collected was handed over to Karo Sambhav for responsible recycling. Nearly 420 kgs of e-waste was collected and included items such as discarded computers, printers, phones, and other office IT equipment.

E-waste problem is much severe in developing countries like India that have deployed rudimentary processing technologies, improper e-waste handling and management, and deal with the additional burden of imported e-waste. The recorded generation of e-waste in India was 1.02 million MT in 2019-2020, increasing at a rate of nearly 32.5% per annum (CPCB, 2020). Global E-waste Monitor 2020 highlighted that, according to the 2019 figures, India had become the third largest generator of e-waste with after China and USA.

The drive was a step towards creating awareness towards responsible disposal of e-waste by bulk generators as per India’s E-waste Management Rules 2016.

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY (June 5, 2020)

New Delhi, June 5: To mark World Environment Day, the EU Delegation (EUD) hosted a webinar on the theme, “Resource Efficiency for Greening of Recovery and fostering Sustainable Economic Growth in a resource constrained world.” The online high-level discussion, under the EU Public Diplomacy project, was held in association with the European Union’s Resource Efficiency Initiative (EU-REI) and proposed ways in which Resource Efficiency can catalyse the economic recovery while helping India move on the path of sustainable development.

Delivering the keynote address, Mr. R P Gupta, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India, said, “The Government of India has recognised the need for integrating resource efficiency with economic development of the country. Draft national policy on resource efficiency (RE) 2019 aims at enabling efficient use of resources and upcycling of waste across all sectors of the economy. The policy fosters cross sectoral collaborations, development of policy instruments, action plans and efficient implementation and monitoring mechanism. RE policy is guided by principles of reduction in primary resources consumption to sustainable levels in keeping with achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

Ms. Astrid Schomaker, Director, Global Sustainable Development, Directorate General for Environment, European Commission Brussels, speaking at the inaugural session on ‘resource efficiency for greening the recovery’ focussed on how the European Green Deal, which provides a roadmap with actions to achieve climate neutrality, combat biodiversity loss and boost the efficient use of resources, is at the heart of the EU’s recovery plan. “Climate Change, biodiversity loss and pollution are existential threats. The Green Deal is EU’s compass and engine for a sustainable post-COVID-19 future, which will ensure a resilient and inclusive economy that leaves no one behind. The EU is looking to be climate neutral by 2050 and this is not possible without a more resource efficient and circular economy. As strategic partners working towards green recovery, the EU supports India in its efforts to transition to a circular economy, and we are keen to scale up our cooperation,” she said.

Under the ongoing European Union-Resource Efficiency Initiative (EU-REI) project, key sectors (automotive, construction, electronics and plastics, steel, aluminium and renewables) using critical raw materials were assessed in terms of opportunities and policy focus that is required to enhance the efficiency of materials used.

Dr. Rachna Arora, Deputy Team Leader & Coordinator EU-REI, India, GIZ shared her perspectives on the resource efficiency strategy and policy for greening of recovery followed by Mr. Souvik Bhattacharjya, Associate Director, Centre for Resource Efficiency and Governance, TERI, who presented a sectoral analysis of the resource efficiency strategies.

Ms. Natalia Papú Carrone, Researcher and Analyst, Circle Economy, Amsterdam, Ms. Rhea Singhal, Founder & CEO, Ecoware – Sustainable Packaging and Mr. Shashank Nimkar, Eco-designer & Founder, Earth Tatva participated in the discussions as well.

Launched in 2018, the Green Pledge was adopted by the Delegation of the European Union and the Embassies of the European Union Member States in New Delhi towards committing to a number of sustainable measures including discontinuing the use of single use plastics, managing waste responsibly and reducing water and electricity consumption. The pledge has now been adopted by 23 partners including government entities, leading educational, hospitality and industrial bodies and civil society organisations.

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