E-waste actors in India
 | Importer/Manufacturer: Almost 50% of the PC's sold in India are products from the secondary market and are re-assembled on old components. The remaining market share is covered by multinational manufacturers (30%) and Indian brands (22%) [Source: annual report 2003, MAIT] Besides manufacturers are major contributors of e-waste. The waste consists of defective IC chips, motherboards, CRTs and other peripheral items produced during the production process. It also includes defective PCs under guarantee procured from consumers as replacement items. |
 | Consumer: Individual households: Individual households account for 22% of junk computers in India (Toxics Link report: Scrapping the Hi-tech Myth: Computer Waste in India, Feb. 2003: www.toxicslink.org). The preferred practice to get rid of obsolete computers is to get them in exchange from retailers when purchasing a new computer, or passed on to elatives or friends. · Government, public and private sector: The business sector accounts for 78% of all installed PC's in India (Toxics Link report: Scrapping the Hi-tech Myth: Computer Waste in India, Feb. 2003: www.toxicslink.org). Obsolete computers from the business sector are sold by auctions. Sometimes educational institutes or charitable institutions receive old computers for reuse. |
| Import of e-waste: Import of e-waste is legally prohibited. Nevertheless, there are reports (Toxics Link report: Scrapping the Hi-tech Myth: Computer Waste in India, Feb. 2003: www.toxiclink.org) of e-waste imports from abroad. Analyses by the ministry of environment showed no results concerning import of e-waste, but the ministry admits that a 100% control of the borders is not possible. | |
 | Traders / Scrap dealers / disassemblers: One single person can work as a a trader, scrap dealer as well as disassembler all over Delhi. Some of these traders carry out, for example, the primary work of disassembling obsolete computers, they reuse the working components, assemble new computers and sell them again on the secondary market. Non working components are sold to recyclers. |
 | Recyclers: The market for e-waste in Delhi is not concentrated in a single place, but spread over different areas, each handling a different aspect of recycling. No sophisticated machinery or personal protective equipment is used for the extraction of different materials. All the work is done by bare hands and only with the help of hammers and screwdrivers. Children and women are routinely involved in the operations. |
 | Disposal: Computer waste, which does not have any resale or reuse value, is openly burnt or disposed off in landfills. |
