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4 things to know about your old mobiles

Now almost the entire humanity is using electrical and electronic gadgets and devices at homes or work places. They have become inextricable parts of our lives. The digital morning clock wakes us up, the geysers give us warm bath, we read our news on tabs, we communicate through our mobiles, food gets cooked in microwave, we manage our work on laptops, and watch favorite programs on the television before we go to bed. From the time we wake up till we say good night and in between electronic and electrical devices help us live comfortably. With time they wear down or with each technological upgrade we replace them with newer ones.

“Update: ZeroWaste is now InstaCash”

When equipments become obsolete with disuse, breakage, and downgrade generally end up lying discarded at our homes and work places. In such state these are termed as E Waste. Here are three things you should know about these old damaged electrical and electronic equipments or E Waste.

  1. E Waste can be repaired: These discarded equipments, devices or gadgets can be repaired, refurbished for further use.
  2. E Waste can be reused: In their irreparable condition these can be extracted in whole or in part for elements that can still be to augment in the manufacture of other devices.
  3. E Waste need to be disposed off responsibly: The electronic and electrical appliances until their utility lives are pretty innocuous. However beyond their lives they start disintegrating into harmful compounds. In a condition where nothing can be salvaged these need to be carefully handled and disposed off with scientific methods and under the laws of the land for the proper care and well being of the environment.
  4. E Waste disposal solution: Appointed as an authorized E Waste handler ZeroWaste collects and sends old, dead and discarded electrical and electronic gadgets for recycle, reuse or dismantling perfectly in sync with our environment.

Offering several opportunities ZeroWaste gives Cash in exchange of the E Waste and it also offers Smart Credits to purchase new electronic items under its ‘But One, Recycle One’ program.

Contact ZeroWaste today for all your E Waste lying at your home and work places. It is the ‘Simplest way to dispose your electronic waste’.

Note: This post was originally published in April 2015 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Leaders of tomorrow partner with ZeroWaste to make India E-Waste Clean

In its attempt to get rid of our homes and work places of hazardous E-Waste and to create the right atmosphere ZeroWaste is roping in the next generation people and converting them into change agents. In yet another feat of sorts Young Leaders are responding to the clarion call and joining to take ZeroWaste “Make India E-Waste Clean” Mission forward.

“Update: ZeroWaste is now InstaCash”

Indeed the mission is onerous and the goal is high, to #MakeIndiaEWasteClean. #ZeroWaste understands to achieve such a goal and to sustain the endeavour for long a concerted effort has to be put in based on professional lines. ZeroWaste believes unless the right people aren’t involved the task would only remain arduous and limited in its approach. Therefore the leaders of tomorrow have to be made part and inducted into the processes.

Aiming for an ongoing success ZeroWaste has partnered with leaders, appointed franchisees and collection centres which in due course of time would give the required impetus to the efforts.

Since it is running on professional lines a well thought out strategically laid out system has been put in place. A series of training sessions and workshops are being conducted to impart the necessary understanding, skills and zeal, turning the cause into a viable social entrepreneurial programme.

Continuous trainings and workshops are the fundamental steps meant to be hand holding exercises for the inductees to turn into change agents working independently and supporting the system in their own ways.

ZeroWaste today boasts of a growing list of collection centres and franchisees which have joined and not only benefitted from the programme but also have seen the economic viability of the social entrepreneurship.

The training programs are carried out at regular intervals who have enrolled themselves to be the social entrepreneurs. ZeroWaste encourages individual set ups and businesses to partner with it.

Connect today with #ZeroWaste to know more at

info@getinstacash.in |www.getinstacash.in

Note: This post was originally published in April 2015 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Me, My Gadget and our E-Waste

One of the exceptional attributes which shines through out our lives as humans is the innate desire to make, stay and grow in relations. Curiously this emotional aspect to bond and attach does not just hold good only for our kin, fellow beings or pet animals but also grows for our material possessions.

“Update: ZeroWaste is now InstaCash”

Our lives today are so wired to be continuously working day in day out the long mundane schedules. In an effort not to be completely sucked we try all we can, not be drawn being ordinary. We try to keep our identities intact. Fighting hard for it we seek our own private little spaces. Giving our personal touches these become our own alter ego. Our cherished gadgets devices fill it and become our own extensions suggesting our desires to be unique. We thrill in the possession of our first computer, smart phone, tab our gaming consoles. We guard them, care for them as we see our own reflections in our gadgets.

As long as they stay with us they are source of our happiness. At times when they have troubles functioning we treat them and get them repaired. As all things with lives, these too have a predestined jolly good time with us. They do die out too!

However have you ever wondered what becomes of our lovely buddies at the end of their lives?
Most of us who get much attached, we just stack them up at one of the corners in our homes or offices as a remembrance of our once great camaraderie. After sometime when more and newer things come into our lives we just throw them up or sell these to one of the scrap dealers offering to take these away.

Little do we know that the scrap dealer who has never ever had any relationship with it shreds them out with acid, burns them in the open, throws their little remains in the ponds, rivers and landfills in the remote corners of our cities. Their cries pollute the waters and fill the air. They come back to us haunting our and our kid’s health and the environment we live in.

As a special member they do deserve a proper last rite. They require a final and honorable goodbye as a mark of respect for their happy association with us. As responsible human beings we need to take them to their proper stages of getting respectful ‘merging with elements’. We need to hand them to authorized handlers to get them recycled or refurbished if still some life stays in them so that they can stay worthwhile in other forms. They can be disintegrated with scientific and lawful ways to be in sync with nature.

Whatever ways we adopt these would suggest our own responsibilities towards our emotional partners.
As efficient and authorized handlers ZeroWaste ensures the most proper last stage rites of your old, discarded and dead electronics and electrical appliances.

You may get in touch with us to get your once prized electronic and electrical gadgets get the fitting final goodbye!
At ZeroWaste We Care!

Connect today with #ZeroWaste to know more at

info@getinstacash.in | www.getinstacash.in

Note: This post was originally published in April 2015 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Do I have E-Waste at home?

E-waste is relatively newer term in India. An average Indian would be very oblivious to the term E-waste, leave alone the proper understanding of the harm these cause to our health and environment.

“Update: ZeroWaste is now InstaCash”

There has been little or no effort from the Government and the concerned authorities to create awareness about the nature and magnitude of E-Wastes. The Government can be forgiven for its apathy whence it promulgates rules about E-Waste and makes responsible the stakeholders like the producers and handlers of e-waste to create awareness on the issue. Since it is the lives and common future of all citizens at stake we need to make efforts to educate ourselves and create awareness amongst our social circles.

What is E — Waste?

To contain the grave issue we need to know first what constitutes an E — Waste and other important terms associated with it.

E-waste is the waste electrical and electronic equipment, whole or in part or rejects from their manufacturing and repair process, which are intended to be discarded.

Orphaned Products — Non-branded or assembled electrical and electronic equipment produced by a company, which has closed its operations or has stopped product support.

Electrical and electronic equipment means equipment, which is dependent on electrical currents or electro-magnetic fields to be fully functional.

The Environment Ministry brought in the E — Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 which became effective from May 2012 in India. These rules have brought in its purview categories of electrical and electronic equipment which contribute to E-Waste.

These categories can be enumerated as under:

IT and telecommunication equipment:

  • Centralized data processing; Mainframes, Minicomputers; Personal computing; Personal computers (Central processing unit with input and output devices), Laptop computers (Central processing unit with input and output devices), Notebook computers, Notepad computers, Printers including cartridges, Copying equipment, Electrical and electronic typewriters, User terminals and systems, Facsimile, Telex, Telephones, Pay telephones, Cordless telephones, Cellular telephones, Answering systems

Consumer electronics:

  • Television sets (including sets based on (Liquid Crystal Display and Light Emitting Diode technology), Refrigerator, Washing Machine, Air-Conditioners excluding centralized air conditioning plants.

If you have any of the above at home or work place kept in a discarded form you have an E-Waste at home. It is very important for you to separate these and hand it over to an authorized E-Waste recycler like Zero Waste in your city.

You may find a Zero Waste Store near you where you can sell them profitably and also become a responsible citizen. To know more Connect with us today at info@getinstacash.in | www.getinstacash.in

Note: This post was originally published in February 2015 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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E-Waste — the Toxic Legacy of our Digital Age

Countries, developed and developing alike, are faced with the flip side of development. Societies have adapted to technologies in big ways however the requisite awareness and legal framework needs to be spruced up in consonance with the fast pace fallout of technological residues that we are leaving behind. Some years back, the waste wasn’t much and was thought to have been easily assimilated in the environment. Today it poses a great challenge. The rapid penetration of the electronics and electrical gadgets in the huge markets of developing world and the steep pace of technological innovations making yesterday’s latest devices obsolete in the developed world. This has led to the problem of disposing off the e-waste responsibly in sync with the environment we live and for the future we look at.

“Update: ZeroWaste is now InstaCash”

The innocuous looking gadgets that we use in our daily life contain elements and compounds which are very harmful to our well being. A broad categorization of these substances inimical to our health can be done as Halogenated Compounds, Heavy & other Metals and Radio Active substances.

Halogenated compounds like CFC (Choloroflourocarbon) PCB (Polychlorinated biphenyls) are present in Cooling units, insulation foams, cable insulations, fire retardants for plastics, condensers, transformers. Heavy metals like Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium, Cadmium, Chromium, Lead, Lithium, Mercury, Nickel, Zinc Sulphide, and Selenium etc are found in CRTs, LEDs, rechargeable batteries, toners, power supply boxes etc. Radio Active substance like Americum is an integral part of medical equipments and fire detectors.

Today we find ourselves awfully placed. As we are making our lives easier and comfortable with the modern electrical and electronic gadgets yet on the other hand we are leaving a toxic legacy. If we do not wake up now, the future will not forgive us for our past. Join ZeroWaste movement in making a healthy and beautiful future.

Note: This post was originally published in February 2015 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Phone-throw and junk-dunk: Games to fight E-WASTE

How far can you throw your old mobile phone to save the environment?

“Update: ZeroWaste is now InstaCash”

Throwing away old and unused electronics as rubbish or scrap is the beginning of the e-waste problem. It’s a big problem. How do you tell everyone that throwing is bad? Simple. Get them to throw their old and unused mobile phones for a good cause. That’s precisely what Jaipur based startup ZeroWaste did with their “Phone Throwing Championship” and “Junk Dunk” Tournament at the recently concluded tech-fest PLINTH 2015 at LNM Institute of Information Technology, Jaipur.

Phone throwing is simple. ZeroWaste asked participants to bring their old/unused phones and throw them as far as they could or as uniquely as they wished. For safety while throwing the phones were wrapped up tightly with Cellotape so that they wouldn’t shatter and litter the ground. Winners were chosen on the basis of maximum distance thrown (just as in any athletic competition like discus, shot put and javelin or the old school favourite –cricket ball throw).

ZW collected all the phones used by the participants, paid cash rewards for theirold phones and made a 5 min presentation on how a simple decision to exchange your waste/unused/old electronics items for cash at an authorized ewaste collection outlet (ZW has 30+ centers) can make a huge difference to the fight against e-waste in India.

About 500 participants tried their hands at Phone Throw and 3 winners were chosen in each Men, Women and Freestyle categories. While the winners were rewarded with Goodies and T-Shirts, poor performers were “dared” by spectators to do something embarrassing, wacky, funny or all three!

Since E-Waste is not just about mobile phones, ZW invented a unique game called Junk-Dunk. Basically it is Basketball with 4 baskets that we made out of Junk washing machines. Each team had two baskets to shoot at and two to defend. Small tinkering with rules and people went crazy, playing for hours without break.

Participants pledged to join hands with ZeroWaste in making Jaipur the first E-waste free city in the country. Student delegate from Brazil, Pedro Rorato, admitted that like India, Brazil is also lacking the required e-waste recycling ecosystem and public awareness is the key to ensure 100% recycling.

Indians currently generates about 1.5 Million tonnes of waste electronics annually and it will rise exponentially as India bridges its “Digital Divide”. Sensing higer demand for cheap consumer electronics, companies are flooding the market with “designed to dump” products having shorter life and low-grade plastics.

ZeroWaste is upbeat about spreading the word of “buy one recycle one” to millions of Indians who enjoy the fun of modern electronics and technology upgrades but are clueless when it comes to understanding how the ewaste problem is a time bomb ticking under our very noses.

Says Prateek Goel and Sunil Saradhna, founders of ZeroWaste, “We hope to organise a state level and then a national phone throwing event in the coming year and generate huge awareness about responsible e-waste disposal especially among teenagers and youth.”

Way to go !!

To know more Connect with us today at info@getinstacash.in | www.getinstacash.in

Note: This post was originally published in February 2015 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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6 Responsibilities of Electronic Brands you should know

Cheap mobiles and electronic devices have caught the fancy of us all. Coming in various sizes and shapes these offer unbelievable features at most astonishing prices. Though very attractive yet some of them remain unguaranteed not only in their materials being used and also in safety features. Until now Indian markets were dumped with goods which could have played with our lives and environment.

“Update: ZeroWaste is now InstaCash”

As a growing nation we need to guard against electronic and electrical items getting into our lives and becoming hazardous to our very existence. The only way to do it is to be aware of the roles and responsibilities of Electronic and Electrical producers and remove any deleterious products getting entry into the markets.

To safe guard the environment and ensure proper disposal of E-Waste, Government has brought in the concept of “Extended Producers Responsibility” under “E-Wastes Rules 2011”. All producers of Electronic and Electrical Equipment in India who manufacture and sell are made responsible for their products beyond manufacturing to ensure environmentally sound management of their end of life products.

Let us understand who are Electronics and Electronic Equipment Producers and their responsibilities.

The rules define an EEE Producer as any person who, irrespective of the selling technique used, undertakes the following actions

  • manufactures and offers to sell electrical and electronic equipment under his own brand; or
  • offers to sell under his own brand, assembled electrical and electronic equipment produced by other manufacturers or suppliers; or
  • offers to sell imported electrical and electronic equipment;

Responsibilities of Producers

  1. Collection of e-waste generated from the ‘end of life’ of their products in line with the principle of ‘Extended Producer Responsibility’ (EPR), or generated during manufacturing of electrical and electronic equipment and channelization of such waste to registered dismantler or recyclers.
  2. Setting up collection centers or take back systems either individually or collectively
  3. Financing and organizing a system to meet the costs involved in the environmentally sound management of e-waste generated from the ‘end of life’ of its own products and historical waste available on the date from which these rules come in to force. The financing arrangement of such a system shall be transparent.
  4. The producer may choose to establish such financial system either individually or collectively by joining a collective scheme.
  5. to facilitate return of used electrical and electronic equipment by providing contact details such as address, telephone numbers/helpline number of authorized collection centers to consumer(s) or bulk consumer(s)
  6. creating awareness through publications, advertisements, posters, or by any other means of communication and information booklets accompanying the equipment, with regard to:
  • information on hazardous constituents as detailed in sub-rule 1 of rule 13 in EEE
  • information on hazards of improper handling, accidental breakage, damage and/or improper recycling of e-waste
  • instructions for handling the equipment after its use, along with the Do’s and Don’ts
  • affixing a visible, legible and indelible symbol on the products or information booklets to prevent e-waste from being dropped in garbage bins

Next time you buy an electronic item be sure you buy from a complying producer who respects the environment, law and your health. Let’s be a little #Responsible ourselves.

To know more Connect with us today at info@getinstacash.in |www.getinstacash.in

Note: This post was originally published in January 2015 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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3 things that make us E-waste culprits

Inadvertently and with no firm understanding on the e-waste most of us tend to be unmindful of the evils of e-waste. E-waste as a problem is growing every day and if not checked today it would face us starkly with its harmful ill effects to our health and environment. 15 million metric tonnes of e-waste is generated every year in a developing country like India. Sensing the burgeoning numbers that would be added in the future all countries including India have put various legislations to contain if not mitigate the damaging effects E-waste would cause. Containing poisonous substances e-waste disposal warrant careful handling. Since we all use electronics and electrical appliances we need to be also responsible in their handling when they aren’t useful to us anymore.

“Update: ZeroWaste is now InstaCash”

We all are accountable and have to be responsible towards our future. Pretty laid back in our approach we run the risk of becoming E-waste culprits ourselves ruining our today and tomorrow. There are 3 ways that make us E-waste Culprits:

  1. 1. Being an E-Waste Sleeper
  2. 2. Discarding / dumping e-waste at wrong places
  3. 3. Selling e–waste to kabadiwala

We have to understand that these equipment have a life and if these are not making any utility sense then it would be our duty not to let the e-waste accumulate at our places. In their productive life these are friends but at the end they are nasty foes so care has to be shown in their disposal. In no circumstances these should be thrown as garbage in and around our areas of inhabitation or elsewhere. It is also very wrong to sell these articles to the usual kabadiwalas or scrap dealers. They lack the understanding and scientific methods to handle toxic elements inherent to these wastes.

Fortunately we have ZeroWaste a company which is all geared and constituted for the great mission to clear up all the E-wastes which lie in our closets and cabinets. It also offers money for the gadgets you give to it. The amount received would be as per the best salvage value and moreover relieves us from the piles of waste littering our closet, tables and racks responsibly.

Note: This post was originally published in January 2015 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Lets Include Electronic Waste in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

“Be the change you wish to see in the world” — Mahatma Gandhi

“Update: ZeroWaste is now InstaCash”

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” — Charles Darwin

First of all I thank our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, for starting Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and calling the people to participate in creating a clean India beyond politics.

India is aiming towards becoming an economic superpower and in such circumstances cleanliness becomes more logical. A clean home is more hospitable to its visitors and subsequently brings greater investment to Indian economy. Cleanliness directly promotes social growth and economic activity.

The Prime Minister’s call for Digital India has created great enthusiasm among people of India as well as abroad. Digital infrastructure, delivery of services and digital literacy are the aims of Digital India and electronic inclusion of people will strengthen Indian democracy with highly accountable and transparent government. It is evident that this electronic inclusion will gear up the generation of electronic waste with computers, laptops, mobile phones and other telecommunication equipment as major source of E-Waste.

E-waste consists of waste electrical & electronic equipment that are to be discarded. India generates about 1.5 Million tonnes of E-waste each year. UN predicted that by 2020 e-waste from computers would jump by 500 percent and from discarded mobile phones would be 18 times higher than 2007 level in India. Electronic waste itself does not cause direct damage to us but unscientific processing of this scrap is detrimental to human health and wellbeing.

WHO in its E-Waste and Child Health Initiative report has warned about these consequences of e-waste. National Green Tribunal has also expressed similar concern about e-waste causing broad spectrum of ecological damage. Therefore, its about time that e-waste be managed through environmentally sound processes causing least harm to human health and environment and checking its diversion to landfills or incineration plants.

Indian government has recognised the problem of e-waste and has made E- waste (Management & handling), Rules, 2011 but due to lack of proper awareness among the private and government bodies the problem is being ignored. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan puts focus on awareness and aims to ensure 100% collection and scientific processing/disposal reuse/recycle of Municipal Solid Waste. Therefore, its only logical that Electronic Waste is included in this campaign. This will generate awareness among citizens and will ensure proper management of e-waste.

I started this petition because I want the e-waste problem to be included in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to minimize damage to human health and environment.

Please join us in calling our Prime Minister to include the E-Waste in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan for a responsible Electronic Democracy and YES!!!! for a better tomorrow.

Note: This post was originally published in January 2015 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.