NML-JSR launches prog for environment-friendly extraction of metals from e-waste

B.Sridhar| TNN

Jamshedpur: CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML-Jamshedpur), a central govt entity, has started a special training programme for master trainers who will formulate plans to train those in informal sectors through awareness and teaching on ways about recycling of e-waste in an environment friendly manner.

Sponsored by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITy), Government of India, the week-long programme, which commenced on Monday, is aimed at sensitising participants on practical ways to recover useful metals such as copper, aluminium, gold, etc. from printed circuit boards (PCBs) and other e-waste materials (OeWM). The master trainers (MTs) will be trained to view e-waste as secondary resource and a business opportunity.

The programme also aims to develop a scale-up process to treat the PCBs (100 to 300 Kg/day) for the recovery of copper, silver and gold using pyrometallurgical routes, officials said.

The programme aims to create 50 MTs for handholding training to 15,000 informal operators and help them upgrade to micro-entrepreneurs for e-waste dismantling, segregation through 300 days workshop in different states.

Underlining the significance of the training programme, a senior scientist of NML stated that unhindered discharge has led to chemicals leaching into nature destroying the ecology of towns like Moradabad and smaller areas like Seelampur and Mustafabad in Delhi.

“The material flows to informal channels is the greatest environmental and health risk which the country faces today. Unscientific processing of e-waste by such actors which collect e-waste from individuals and bulk consumers to extract precious metals, discharge the residue chemicals into the soil and water bodies. The unhindered discharge has led to chemicals leaching into nature,” said the senior scientist.

NML director Sandip Chowdhury stated that the overall objective of this mission is to upgrade informal sector operators engaged in e–waste recycling to enhance capacity building, skill sets and assist them with indigenous technology to process e-waste in an environmentally sound manner. “The informal sector will be facilitated with MSME cluster formation scheme (CFC) to create cluster through respective state govts,” he said.