National E-waste Management Program:

Over three tonnes collected in single day

Disna MUDALIGE

About three and a half tonnes of electronic waste was collected on a single day with the launch of the National Electronic Waste Management Programme last Thursday, Central Environment Authority (CEA) Waste Management Unit Acting Director Sarojini Jayasekara told the Daily News yesterday.

She said that the bulk among the E-waste was computers and computer parts. A large number of mobile phones, photocopy and fax machines, rice cookers, television sets, scanners and many other items of abandoned electronic equipment were among the collected waste, she said. She observed that this huge amount of waste collected on the day of its inauguration shows that people have been long waiting for this move. She also revealed that the majority of the individuals who handed over E-waste were doctors.

She said that the Urban Development Authority (UDA) alone handed over six cabs full of E-waste on this day. “Many other institutes also handed over their unwanted electronic items to us,” she said. She said that the E-waste would be exported to China for recovery. Accordingly Sri Lanka will receive a recovery certificate from China stating the amount which was successfully recovered.

The inauguration of this programme was held last Thursday at Shalika Grounds, Narahenpita with the participation of Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and CEA Chairman Dr Charitha Herath. The CEA launched this programme with the collaboration of 14 private companies.

Sri Lanka Telecom, Mobitel, Dialog, Etisalat, Hutch and Lanka Bell representing the telecommunication field, Singer and Abans from the field of home electronic appliances, Metropolitan, E-Wis, Virtusa, ABC Trade and Investments representing office equipment and Geo Cycle and Green link in the field of bulk waste disposing sector have joined with the program.

The partner organizations will ensure scientific disposal of the E-waste collected by this program.

People can contribute to this program by handing over home and office electronic waste to islandwide collecting centres. People can obtain information on the collecting centres by calling 1919.

This program will help prevent serious health hazards and water and soil pollution due to improper disposal of E-waste. According to medical specialists heavy metals discharge by the electronic equipment when they degrade can pollute environment which in return cause serious illnesses.