The Local Self-Governments department’s drive to collect electronic waste (e-waste) from households will be expanded to grama panchayats too from next month onwards. The collection drive, being carried out by Haritha Karma Sena volunteers, was launched on a pilot basis in December 2024 in a few municipalities and grama panchayats across the State. Later in July this year, it was expanded to all the Corporations.
As part of the collection drive, e-waste is collected from households and a nominal amount provided to the owners. Until this month, a total amount of ₹8.84 lakh was provided to households through the Haritha Karma Sena. The collected e-waste is handed over to recyclers through the Metal Scrap Trade Corporation Limited (MSTC) portal, while the e-hazardous waste is handed over for scientific processing to Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Limited (KEIL) in Ernakulam.
The project is being implemented by the Clean Kerala Company in collaboration with Suchitwa Mission, local self-government institutions, Haritha Karma Sena, Kudumbashree, schools, colleges, residence associations and electronic retailers. CRT television, refrigerator, washing machine, microwave oven, mixer grinder, fan, laptop, CPU, CRT monitor, mouse, keyboard, LCD monitor, LCD/LED television, printer, photostat machine, iron box, motor, cellphone, telephone, radio, modem, air conditioner, battery, inverter, UPS, stabilizer, water heater, water cooler, induction cooker, SMPS, hard disk, CD drive, PCB boards, speakers, headphones, switch boards, emergency lamp and similar non-functional or obsolete electronic devices items are considered as e-waste.
In the past five years, the Clean Kerala Company has handed over 38,405.60 tonnes of non-biodegradable waste for recycling and 1.24 lakh tonnes of waste for scientific processing in cement factories outside the State. The Clean Kerala Company has agreements with three cement companies outside Kerala for handing over such waste as well as with 78 agencies for transport of the non-biodegradable waste in GPS-fitted vehicles.
Published – September 25, 2025 09:19 pm IST
