According to The Global E-waste Monitor 2024 by Unitar (United Nations Institute for Training and Research), there are 62 billion kg of electronic waste generated globally in 2022, only 13.83 billion kg (22.3%) of them was documented as formally collected and recycled in an environmentally sound manner. [1] It means more than 48 billion kg are destroyed as normal trash and seriously harming the environment and people’s health.
In India, more than 4 billion kg of e-waste generated every year, but only 1% of them are collect formally.[2] These data highlight the importance of e-waste management and recycling, as well as the need to strengthen relevant regulations and the construction of recycling facilities; otherwise, improper disposal e-waste must cause serious pollution.
To manage and control this issue, MoEFCC (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) has issued E-Waste (Management) Rules for public in 2022.[3] It defines the responsibility of manufacturers, producers, refurbishers, bulk consumer, even recycler on handling e-waste and sets yearly recycling targets.
U-Reach, the data solution provider, looks into this field and uses its expertise to contribute to recycling storage devices. U-Reach Data Eraser[4] is a secure data wiping system that complying with NIST and DoD Standards. It is certified by Ontrack [5] and ADISA [6]. Just simply connect the devices to Erasers by cable, select preferred Erase Method, and wait until complete. The wiped storage will be empty in hours and users can evaluate if the device can be reused by SMART Info. [7] or bad track quantity been detected.
Recycling storage devices also has significant relationship with ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance). By recycling and reusing hard drives, companies can reduce e-waste, extend the life of products, and decrease the demand for new resources. This not only helps protect the environment but also aligns with social responsibility principles, as it supports a circular economy and reduces reliance on the planet/s finite resources. Moreover, transparent and responsible recycling practices reflect good corporate governance.
Conclusion
The growing e-waste problem presents both significant challenges and promising opportunities to the global community. The harmful impacts on the environment and human health cannot be overstated and require concerted action to address them urgently.
U-Reach Data Eraser provides a secure data erasure solution that facilitates the disposal and recycling of storage devices, thereby reducing e-waste accumulation and promoting resource efficiency. Embracing a circular economy thinking, where products are reused and repurposed, can build resilience against resource depletion and environmental degradation. Let’s pave the way for a cleaner, healthier future for generations to come.
References
[1] GLOBAL E-WASTE MONITOR 2024: ELECTRONIC WASTE RISING FIVE TIMES FASTER THAN DOCUMENTED E-WASTE RECYCLING, a report by Unitar, https://unitar.org/
[2] THE GLOBAL E-WASTE STATISTICS PARTNERSHIP (GESP), a partnership managed by the ITU and UNITAR-SCYCLE, https://globalewaste.org/statistics/ country/india/2022/
[3] E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022, https://cpcb.nic.in/uploads/Projects/E-Waste/e-waste_rules_2022.pdf
[4] U-Reach, a data solution provider, offers sanitizer solutions for Hard Drives and SSDs. https://ureach.in/products/hdderaser/
[5] Ontrack (a KLDiscovery business from USA), is a certification organization provides data erasure verification service. https://www.ontrack.com/en-us
[6] ADISA (Asset Disposal and Information Security Alliance from UK), is a certification body for companies that provide IT Asset Disposal services. https://adisa.global/
[7] Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T., often written as SMART) is a monitoring system included in hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs).https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-Monitoring,Analysis and_Reporting_Technology
