Uddesh

Revolutionising E-Waste Collection
for a Sustainable Future

Introduction

Uddesh is a service platform that facilitates the responsible disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) by connecting verified recycling facilities with both households and industries. Our platform aims to create a smooth and efficient pathway towards a more environmentally sustainable future.

Team

Individual

Duration

6 Weeks

Project type

Academic

Background

In India, more and more electronic gadgets are being used, leading to a big increase in e-waste.
India generated 1.71 million metric tons of e-waste in 2022

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

Secondary Research

During this, I started reading about “How E-waste of Indian Household is getting managed in India” and what initiative have been taken. Analyse the whole E-waste scenario of India.

of citizens in the top seven metros of India are aware about the need for proper disposal of electronic waste, but when it comes to actually getting rid of them, old habits die hard.

is still illegally handled, causing environmental damage and health hazards due to informal waste pickers not following proper standards.

In response to the growing informal recycling market, the Ministry of Environment introduced the E-waste Management Rules in 2016. These rules include the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). As a result, Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) have been established to help producers meet their EPR obligations.

Primary Research

During this period, I reached out to several companies and NGOs in the field of E-waste to gain insights into their operations at the grassroots level. This included understanding how they function, how they collect waste, and the challenges they may encounter.

Research Location : New Delhi

Method Used : Telephonic Interviews

Participants : NGOs, PROs, Startups

Challenges These organisations facing

Some collection centers are not being used to their maximum capacity.

People are less interested due to the absence of incentives or limited incentives.

It is not possible to reach every household.

There is a lack of awareness among people about them

Once we've clarified their challenges, it's important to understand “Why people actually hoard their gadgets when they are no longer working”. We need to gain insight into their perspective on managing e-waste.

To gain insights, I conducted a survey with 20 individuals to understand their reasons for not disposing of their gadgets & concluded these 5 main reasons.

Why Do people hoard their gadgets

Sentimental Values

Might Use in Future

Don’t know “How to dispose”

Might have value in future

Plan selling/ giving it away

Pain Points (Of people who wanted to dispose their e-waste)

• " Don’t know how to dispose the discarded electronics and electrical appliances "

• “ Why to go Collection centres just to give scrap ”

• “ What if it reaches unscrupulous hands? ”

• “ Can’t find near by scrap collection center “

• “ Don’t have enough space in house “

• “ Do I get any incentives if sell this? “

After conducting comprehensive research and gathering insights from multiple perspectives, two key issues emerge: "Collection Challenges" for the formal sector and "Safe Disposal" for households.

Problem statement

How can we improve the collection of e-waste from Indian households while ensuring safer disposal, user satisfaction, and environmental sustainability?