Companies join to tackle e-waste

Ramani Kangaraarachchi

Fourteen companies in the corporate sector jointly with the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) will undertake to properly manage electronic waste in the country.

This aims to ensure an e-waste free environment in Sri Lanka in the future.

A MoU was signed by these companies which included Mobitel, SLT, Hutch, Etisalat, Dialog, Lanka Bell, Singer, Abans, Metropolitan, Virtusa, ABC, E-Wis,Green Link and Geo Cycle at the launch of electronic waste management project at the BMICH last week.

Speaking at the launching ceremony Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said a well organized strategy including a comprehensive legal framework and practical management system is essential for environmentally sound management of e-waste as it is becoming one of the rapidly growing environmental problems worldwide.

The project launched by the CEA is an environmental relief program where people can handover their e-waste to any of the partner organizations appointed by the CEA, without stocking it at home. Acting as collection centres of e-waste ,the island wide network of already existing branches of these partner organizations will accept or pick up any unwanted electric and electronic appliances from the public.

CEA Chairman Charitha Herath said the rapid changes in technology, low initial cost, and planned obsolescence have resulted in a fast growing surplus of electronic waste globally. “As a responsible regulatory agency CEA with fourteen private sector companies launched this project to protect environment in Sri Lanka and requested all Sri Lankans to join hands,” he said.