e-waste major environmental problem: Expert

About 95 per cent of India's e-waste is recycled in the informal sector in a crude manner, an official said here. e-waste is becoming a major environmental problem and posing a threat to human health, NGO CUTS International director George Cheriyan said, adding that India stood fifth after the USA, China, Japan and the UK in generating e-waste.

Only 0.6 per cent of the total waste was being disposed through a right process, Cheriyan said at a workshop held to mark Green Action Week here on Monday. Cheriyan said as 95 per cent of India's electronic waste was being recycled in the informal sector in a crude manner, proper disposal and management was the need of the hour.

Programme associate Nimisha Sharma said the CUTS Inernational would set-up e-waste collection centres at various places in the city in association with ETCO e-Waste Recycler Ltd to raise awareness among people. Green Action Week is observed across the world from September 30 to October 6. The global theme for the campaign this year is 'Sharing Community'.