Rajasthan's government has decided to deal with the mounting e-waste and plastic problem the state faces.
We all have old gadgets and electronics we refuse to throw away, due to the oddest reasons. An old CRT television, a first-generation smartphone, a desktop computer and anything that is basically outdated.
Well, if you live in Rajasthan, you will be happy to know that the state government will buy all these items from you!
As reported by the Asian Age, the Rajasthan government launched an initiative on World Environment Day encouraging people to deposit old phones, computers, routers and outdated electronic items, in exchange for cash.
The initiative is a collaboration between the State Pollution Control Board, Indian Oil, Instacash and Greenspace in order to create public awareness against e-waste and plastic.
20 collection points for e-waste and plastic bags have been set up at Indian Oil petrol pumps, in Jaipur. You can go to any of the outlets, and deposit your e-waste and plastic bags. The e-waste will get you cash, and the plastic bags will get you jute bags.
Speaking to the Asian Age, Aparna Arora, the chairman of Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board, said, “E-waste is becoming a huge problem, so we decided to initiate this campaign to create public awareness.”
Although Rajasthan has 10 recycling units with a capacity of 68,670 tonnes, they are under-utilised as the e-waste isn’t reaching them. The princely state, therefore, is responsible for generating 20,000 tonnes of e-waste per year, and this initiative serves to reduce that number.
The report in Asian Age also mentions that the Jaipur Municipal Corporation is not doing its work properly. It is the corporation’s responsibility to take e-waste from the market, and deliver it to dismantlers and recyclers, in addition to segregating e-waste from solid waste, but this is not happening.
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Ashok Lahoty, the Mayor of Jaipur, has mentioned that a system to collect e-waste will soon be put in place, but till then, this public awareness campaign, should spread the message far and wide.
E-waste and plastic disposal are huge problems in a country with a population like ours. However, if you are in Rajasthan, all you need to do is to go to the nearest collection centre and walk out with cash for your e-waste, and jute bags in place of plastic ones.
(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)
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