Don't sell your old mobiles, computers or television sets to scrap dealers, or throw them in the bin. Sunday MiD DAY finds Maharashtra's only e-waste recycling plant right here in Mumbai. Use it

Yesterday, at 8.30 pm, the world pledged its support to Earth Hour by switching off power for one hour. If you think you did your bit for the environment by hitting the off switch too, here's why that's just not good enough.
Experts have simple tips for you -- educate yourself on where you can recycle your e-waste, whether it's an old music system or a dead mobile phone. Use your electronic gadgets for as long as you can, and pass them on to family members or donate them instead of selling them to retailers (most retailers won't offer you much anyway, unless your mobile is a newish, fancy model), scrap dealers, or worse -- discarding them in the bin.

Toxins (lead, mercury, phosphorous) from e-waste pollute your air, water and food when dumped into landfills, burnt in the open, or discarded in water pipes and sewage drains.

Why the raddiwalla is not your friend
BK Soni, Chairman, Eco Recycling Ltd (Ecoreco), the only recycling plant in Maharashtra gives us a harsh reality check. "There are no mandatory e-waste regulation guidelines in India. Ninety nine per cent of e-waste ends up with the unorganised sector -- waste pickers, local raddiwallas and kabadiwallas. They extract precious metals like copper and silver that can be resold to smelters." Extraction is done by burning the gadget in the open or even boiling it in acid. The acid water and leftovers are then dumped in a landfill or discarded in the open. Improper disposal methods are creating a huge health hazard."

Retailers who buy back your second-hand electronics are culprits too. "They repair and reuse working parts. The rest is binned and eventually makes its way into the groundwater and soil," explains Soni.