Vaatika Dabra

Department: Information Design
Website: www.vaatika.co

E-waste

The purchase of laptop computers, smart phones and other electronic gadgets has become an almost seasonal phenomenon in the industrialized parts of the world. Technology rushes ahead and tastes adjust to that trend. But what happens to the attributes that have become outdated? Much of the world’s electronic ‘waste’ is shipped to developing countries like India, where it is sold on and scrapped for re-use. This e-waste recycling is a dirty, mostly illegal and hazardous business on which many Indian civilians have to rely for their livelihood. What happens when the Western ‘gift’ of last year’s electronic devices reaches the ports of India? What’s the system? Who are the operators? And at what cost?

Video