Downside of IT savvy society

4 September: With Bhutanese becoming more affluent and technology getting cheaper, the use of electronic equipment (e-equipment) is increasing. This will continue with the government’s plan to turn Bhutan into an information technology (IT) centre and its people into a modern knowledge-based society.

But with this transformation, Bhutan will soon have to confront a problem many countries are struggling with – how to safely dispose of the increasing amount of e-waste that is generated.

E-wastes are discarded items, from computers and mobile phones to radios and television sets.

With e-equipment usually being passed down to family and friends, Bhutan’s generation of e-waste is still comparatively small. Discarded e-equipment in Bhutan is also regularly ‘cannibalised’ or recycled by local hardware shops to make other e-equipment.

“It is a concern for those of us who know e-waste is hazardous,” said the national environment commission environment officer, Yeshey Penjor.

The components in e-equipment contain toxic substances like arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury, and organic pollutants like PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls).

These toxic materials pose a serious risk to human health, when they are handled by workers not wearing safety equipment or dumped straight into the garbage. Cancers and reproductive problems have been linked to these toxins.

“There is a lack of awareness on the dangers of e-waste in Bhutan,” said Yeshey Penjor, resulting in it going to dumpsites like Memelakha. No studies have been done on the country’s e-waste situation, but the environmental officer said cell batteries and fluorescent lights were the primary e-waste pollutants entering the environment.

Lead contained in batteries can leak because of acidic conditions in garbage dumps. Accumulating and contaminating the surrounding environment, eventually, this damage can be transferred to humans, for instance, by reaching water sources. Lead can damage the central and peripheral nervous systems, blood system and kidneys.

While some initiatives have been made to address e-waste, it is largely ineffective and possibly in contradiction of the Basel Convention, an international treaty for the movement of hazardous materials, of which Bhutan is a signatory.

An article in the Waste Prevention and Management Act says relevant organisations are responsible for the safe collection and disposal of e-waste. But implementation of this rule is virtually non-existent. “There’s no formal mechanism to handle e-waste, it isn’t a priority yet,” said Yeshey Penjor.

The government owns 90 percent of an estimated 10,000+ computers (and peripherals) in Bhutan, and is getting rid of its e-waste by simply auctioning it to scrap dealers. The property department auctions 1,800 to 2,400 e-waste items, the government surrenders annually. Some are bought by local dealers, but most end up in India.

India is already a major e-waste dumping ground for developed countries. This e-waste mostly ends up in scrap-yards that lack health and environment protective measures.

The export to India is now regulated by the Basel Convention, which requires notification and consent from the Indian government, before e-waste enters the country.

Kuensel asked the owner of one Indian company, Abhishek InfoTech and Iron Scrap, whether it complied with environmental and worker safety laws for e-waste disposal. The owner denied any knowledge. Government officials were also not able to say what eventually happens to our e-waste export.

But there are signs that the government is serious about minimising the problem. According to the department of information technology (DIT) director, Tenzin Chhoeda, the cabinet has instructed the department to assess the situation and create ways to prolong the life of government e-equipment, to reduce e-waste generation. A component of the recent deal with India’s NIIT, requires the company to provide experts to aid the government in forming an e-waste management structure.

DIT will also be forming rules to reduce e-waste generation by the upcoming IT Park. Companies may be required to purchase mostly ‘green’ e-equipment with biodegradable parts, and with a ‘take back’ option, which means e-equipment once not usable can be returned to the manufacturer. Companies will also be required to send their e-waste to only approved recycling companies.

On how to immediately tackle the issue, NEC’s Yeshey Penjor said, Thimphu city corporation (TCC) could introduce waste segregation. Residents could be required by law to separate their biodegradable and recyclable trash before handing it over to TCC. A team to identify and separate e-waste in recyclable trash could be formed, preventing it from entering the environment.

As Bhutan lacks facilities to safely extract hazardous material, exporting it to authorised recycling companies in countries like India or Thailand was an option, he said. And, to adhere to the Basel Convention, the treaty’s stringent requirements could be met.

“It’s not at a scale that is alarming,” said director Tenzin Chhoeda, on the current situation, “but it may emerge into a serious issue, unless we address it now.”

source: kuensel