Child Labour and E-Waste Management: A Toxic Relationship

Bangalore, India's information technology capital, faces significant challenges regarding electronic waste (e-waste) mismanagement and the exploitation of child labour due to poverty. With limited resources to handle e-waste, only 40% is managed in the city. The children in Bangalore who are forced to engage in e-waste segregation due to poverty, highlight the dire conditions faced by impoverished families. This paper proposes an integrated e-based management framework to address these issues. The framework comprises effective policies and technological solutions, including an e-waste incentivization scheme and a smartphone app. The policy approach requires companies to establish e-waste take-back programs that incentivize customers to return their e-waste in exchange for reasonable compensation. The smartphone app provides basic education, scheme implementation monitoring, and statistics, encouraging customers to participate in proper e-waste management. By combining these solutions, the paper aims to offer effective ways to tackle the pressing issue of e-waste mismanagement and child labour, leading towards a more sustainable and ethical management of e-waste in Bangalore.