According to the third edition of Global E-waste monitor 2020 launched in July 2020 by Global E-Waste Statistics Partnership 53.6 million metric tons (MT) of E-Waste discarded products with a battery or plug such as computers and mobile phones - is generated worldwide in 2019, up 9.2 Mt in five years. Toxic and hazardous substances such as mercury, brominated flame-retardants (BFR) or chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are found in many types of electronic equipment and pose severe risk to human health and the environment if not handled in an environmentally sound manner. Recent report from WHO reveals that Ambient air pollution accounts for an estimated 4.2 million deaths per year due to stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, lung cancer, acute and chronic respiratory diseases.
India ranks third in the world in terms of e-waste generation after the USA and China. E-Waste management is regulated by Pollution Control Board (PCB), unfortunately over 50% of the company’s engaged into managing and collecting E-Waste are not licensed by the PCB. Appropriate recycling of the Electronic Waste would ensure a safer environment and a green tomorrow.
Established in 2010, Computer Yug under the Leadership of Nirav Raval is bent on regulating the informal sector. The Company with it’s 12000 MT capacity plant in Gujarat is regulated by the PCB and also adheres its own Standard Operating Procedure in safer E-waste collection and recycling.
It’s prime campaign ‘Praan Vaayu’ integrates the society, the environment, the informal recyclers and the citizens at large with an intent of delivering a green tomorrow by marshaling the E-Waste management process. Under this campaign the company collects E-Waste through NGOs with them at benefit too as the company donates a good chunk of usable material to them. As a part of the campaign Company has recently donated 11 Laptops to ANNI Foundation, a rehabilitation center based in Thane, Maharashtra. And 3 Desktops to The Little Shine Foundation, based in Bandra West Mumbai.
This project is an arm of the company's 6 Win strategy, featuring 6 beneficiaries of it’s overall E-Waste management project. NGO being the first as stated above. Society is the second beneficiary under this wing as they get rewarded both in cash and kind for their support towards the environment. Employment is a larger benefit offered to the citizens with the cascading effect of this campaign. Recyclers are the next in benefit as they not only get monetary benefit but also get to participate in the environmental governance. The next biggest beneficiary of these exercises is none other than the environment. And lastly the sixth beneficiary is the country itself as the recycled waste boosts the in-house production of both metallic and non metallic raw material.
Computer Yug has started broadcasting their vision to the citizens of the country at large with their Praan Vaayu Campaign. They plan to penetrate the major areas of Tier 1 cities in the coming year. They have been organising colossal events across major societies in Mumbai. “We are planning to organise Praan Vaayu Campaigns in major Tier 1 cities of India and specifically those catering to Information Technology bracket like Pune, Gandhinagar, Surat, Gurugram, Noida, Bengaluru and such similar” quoted Chaitali Shah, a spokesperson from the company. On the occasion of 97th birth anniversary of late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the former Prime Minister of India, BJP ward no 51 of Goregaon East Mumbai under the leadership of SMT Vidya Thakur, a member of 13th Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from Goregaon. invited Computer Yug to organise their campaign. With full enthusiasm Computer Yug and it’s core team with Nirav Raval created an awareness and collected a substantial amount of E-waste from the ward area. Nagar sevak Dipak Thakur was personally present at the campaign along with Sanman Gaokar the ward president.