Is E-Waste a Tradable commodity?

Yes, E-waste as a tradable commodity has been described in terms of components, which contain items of economic value.

In developing countries, E-waste collection, transportation and recycling has become a profitable business in the unorganized/ informal sector, where the E- waste trader/ collector/ recyclers pay the consumer for the E-waste item.

E-waste has been classified into 26 components forming “building blocks”, which are easily “identifiable” and “removable”, followed by description of elements for material recovery and their respective hazardousness. These commodities are refrigerator, washing machine representing “household’s appliances”, personal computer, monitor, laptop and cellular telephone representing “IT and Telecom equipment” and television representing “consumer equipments”.

Since low level of investment is required in unorganized/ informal sector, small investors find E-waste trade as attractive business proposition, where the main incentive is financial benefit irrespective of environmental, occupational and health issues.