It is deeply concerning that municipalities lack even a rudimentary system for processing e-waste generated from computers, handsets, and other electrical and electronic equipment.
Electronic waste contains many toxic and non-biodegradable materials, which can be valuable if recycled properly. The Department of Environment prepared a draft for an E-Waste Control Policy in 2012, but there is no sign of it being put into practice.
This neglect contaminates land and exposes thousands of waste-pickers to hazardous health risks.
With growing economic activity, the amount of such e-waste is set to multiply at an even faster pace than general waste. As it is, the dysfunctional system for waste collection in cities like Dhaka fails to collect over half the waste generated each day. Recycling and waste sorting sites are pitifully provided for and are frequently a nuisance, with noxious wastes being tipped out and sorted on public roads.
We must make our systems for collecting and treating all types of waste fit for purpose. As a country with a successful ship recycling industry and large pools of labour, there is no shortage of resources to draw upon.
As well as ensuring safer facilities for processing toxic materials and bringing in mandatory rules for e-waste recycling, we have to boost collection rates.
The city corporations should provide proper recycling bins to allow organic materials to be usefully composted at source and to encourage more people to pre-sort paper, plastics, and glass.
While such schemes do not replace the need for expert sorting of materials, they have been widely proven to encourage more people to recycle and are helpful in reducing litter.
