E-Waste Collection In Western Province
Shakila Ifham
January 26, 2022
More than 95,000 metric tons of electrical and electronic waste is dumped in Sri Lanka annually and by 2021 it will be increased to 121,000 metric tons, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said.
He said that the decision to implement collection of waste was taken due to the significant environmental damage as well as the serious impact on public health due to the electrical and electronic pollution that is not currently in use.
He also said that the need for an information system to implement a national policy for the disposal of electronic and electronic waste, control over imported electronics and electronics, and launch a programme for the control of new equipment, according to a report released by the Department of National Audit in 2019.
The public prefers to keep expensive electric and electronic equipment in their homes, even if they are dilapidated after use. “But some of the radioactive substances contained in these devices pose a risk of skin diseases, skin cancer, and several other conditions,” he added. Therefore, the Minister requested that such inactive devices not be kept in houses but handed over to these places.
The Minister also said that large batches of water are being polluted due to the discharge of batteries from inactive mobile phones. A disposable mobile phone battery has the potential to pollute 30,000 litres of water. Therefore, the Minister requested all media institutions to co-operate in this programme, targeting the massive environmental damage and health problems caused by the improper disposal of many of the electronic and electronic devices dumped into the environment.
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