Mumbai and recycled e-goods

Back from fieldwork in Mumbai where I researched the usage of certain computing devices. A side note from the study was the realization that an entire Indian population lived on recycling electric goods. Here is a picture:

The West surely could learn from this practice. Indeed e-waste has been a big problem, and unfortunately a bigger problem for developing countries: European E-waste Labeled ‘Second-hand’ is Unloaded in Ghana.

An example of awareness project, the WEEE man:

“The WEEE Man is made from the amount of waste electrical and electronic products that an average UK citizen – YOU – will throw away in YOUR lifetime, if YOU carry on disposing of products at the current rate. Currently most of these products go straight into landfill. From January 2006 manufactures & retailers will be responsible for recycling this waste under new EU legislation called the WEEE (Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment) Directive.”

An initiative of interest. We have already mentioned the project “Sharer” by Vinay Venkatraman and James Tichenor: