Optimization Techniques in Engineering

23E-Waste Management Challenges in India: An AHP Approach

Amit Sutar, Apurv Singh, Deepak Singhal, Sushanta Tripathy^* and Bharat Chandra Routara

School of Mechanical Engineering, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India

Abstract

E-waste or waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) can refer to any electrical or electronic appliance or device or a sub-assembly or component of the same which is regarded as not useful or obsolete by the user and hence discarded. The growing quantity of generated electronic and electrical waste in India is a pressing concern for the government and the citizens. Domestic generation, as well as foreign imports, is stressing the already overburdened waste management system. Lack of government regulation and strict enforcement of such regulation is complicating the issue. E-waste contains many toxic substances and its improper handling can cause harm to human health and the environment. Environmentally sustainable e-waste management in India is very limited due to a number of factors like the lack of technology, lack of funds, inadequate number of players in the sector, ignorance among recyclers, etc. The challenges in environmentally sound management (ESM) in India are many, and this chapter aims to identify and rank the same on the basis of their importance using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The factors or challenges were identified and sent to experts who ranked them according to their importance. Then, we performed ...