India's billion-dollar e-waste empire
12 days ago
- #recycling
- #India
- #e-waste
- Hundreds of men work at a Delhi dump, unloading e-waste trucks for minimal pay.
- India is the world’s third-largest e-waste producer, generating 1.75 million metric tons in 2024.
- Close to 60% of India's e-waste remains unrecycled, posing environmental and financial challenges.
- The informal e-waste sector employs about 95% of workers, with minimal regulation and safety measures.
- Families like the Maliks dominate the e-waste trade in areas like Khatta, controlling significant market shares.
- Women in the industry face low-paying, hazardous jobs, with little opportunity for advancement.
- Formal recycling companies like Recyclekaro are emerging, supported by government policies aiming to regulate the sector.
- New regulations mandate producers to pay recyclers for proper disposal, but face pushback from global tech firms.
- The informal sector remains critical to India's e-waste economy, despite efforts to formalize it.
- Khatta, a key e-waste hub, was temporarily shut down in 2025, but experts predict it will reopen or relocate.