When it doesn't pay to recycle

A recent news in the Features section of the Star, (I couldn't locate the link) on young recyclers in New Delhi, India sifting through rubbish to pick on 'e-waste' caught my attention. These destitute children should be at school instead of day in and day out rummaging through dismantled electronic equipment to prise out the integrated circuits, tiny transistors, capacitors from the discarded computers, printers and other electronic equipment. The children are unaware of the dangers they are exposing themselves.

It was reported by a United Nations survey that India would have 500% more e-waste fom old computers in 2020 than in 2007, and 18 times more hand phones.

The e-waste handlers risks detrimental effects on their respiratory, urinary and digestive systems besides reducing body immunity levels and getting exposed to carcinogens. Toxic metals and poisons enter the bloodstream during the laborious manual extraction process to recover gold, platinum, copper and lead using caustic soda and concentrated acids.

These children have no idea of the dangers they go through each day. There is no precautions taken such as using gloves, masks or ventilation fans. For these illiterate children who are desperate to work in search for a few rupees, it is either die of hunger now or die of metal poisoning later.

It was also reported that computers, television and mobile phones are most dangerous because they contain high levels of lead, mercury and cadmium. Among the 250 recyclers studied over 12 months, almost all suffered from asthma and bronchitis. Dangerous levels of lead, mercury and chromium-10 to 20 times higher than normal- were found in the subjects' blood and urine samples.

These poor children will be suffering from the effects of the time spent in the landfills before the Indian government enact laws to regulate the e-waste industry.

Tory Green Proposals

The London Daily Telegraph on 24th Nov 2009 reported that the opposition Conservative Party or Tories as they are called are proposing a coupon or voucher incentive to encourage households to recycle. These vouchers could be claimed from Marks and Spencer and Tesco. It was expected that claims up to GBP130 could be accumulated by a household per year.


It is estimated that these incentives could encourage households to recycle and the national recycling rates will increase by at least 30 per cent annually.

If more people were to recycle, there will less pressure on the landfills as less rubbish will be created and dumped. Councils would spend less on filling up the landfills and thus the money saved on landfill taxes could go to finance the claim vouchers.

The recycling plan is part of several green measures that also include:

* cutting carbon emissions in Britain by 10 per cent within a year

* creating the country’s first ‘green investment bank’

* introducing Green ISAs, encouraging investment in green technologies

* making Whitehall energy consumption ‘transparent’.

The Conservatives have carried out a pilot scheme in the Tory-led council areas of Windsor and Maidenhead where recycling points are set up where the vouchers can be redeemed online and spent at hundreds of local shops.

The points are then uploaded onto a computer database which can be accessed by residents to collect and redeem the points. It has enabled residents to earn a maximum of £130 per year in vouchers and discounts.

At the moment, 37 per cent of household waste in England and Wales is recycled, up from just 7.5 per cent in 1996. But landfill taxes levied by the Government are still set to rise from £40 a tonne to £70 a tonne in the next three years.

The Conservative plans to increase recycling rates are likely to be welcomed by many Councils that fear facing swinging European Union fines if they the number of landfills are not reduced.

The ‘green’ bank would consolidate public funds that is divided across a number of current Government climate change initiatives. It would also bring in private sector funds which would be used to create jobs, encourage innovations and encourage companies to invest in Britain.

Green ISAs (Individual Savings Accounts) will also be used to encourage members of the public to invest in green technologies.

Under the new green Tory plans, details would also be published online of the energy consumption of every Whitehall department so that the public can hold ministers and civil servants to account for their carbon footprint.

Let us see how far the Conservatives' proposals will be taken by the Labour government and implemented.