IIT Madras develops online platform “e-source” to tackle e-waste

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has developed an online platform called “e-source” to tackle electronic waste by connecting stakeholders in the formal and informal sectors.

“Called ‘e-Source,’ it will be an exchange platform that will serve as an online marketplace for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and facilitate a formal supply chain between various stakeholders (buyers and sellers),” a statement from IIT Madras said.

IIT Madras researchers are working on addressing the gaps in the e-waste sector. India is the third largest country in the world to produce e-waste. Between the years 2019 and 2020, Indians produced 38 percent e-waste, the IIT Madras statement said.

“The ‘e-Source’ initiative aims to make ‘Waste Electrical Electronic Equipment’ (WEEE) as a key resource in the evolution of a circular economy by establishing traceability and recovery of post-consumer e-waste in the market,” the statement added.

Sudhir Chella Rajan, a faculty in the department of humanities and social sciences, IIT Madras, said: “e-Source is a unique open-source platform that will evolve towards using machine learning for better traceability of e-waste in compliance with guidelines and help increase the opportunities for repair and re-use of e-waste.

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“..This will potentially improve livelihoods for youth and women in periurban settings by upgrading their skills and improving occupational health and safety, reduce the flow of toxic materials in waste streams and broaden the market for affordable, second-hand e-devices,” Rajan added.

This initiative is being led by Indo-German Centre for Sustainability (IGCS). The IGCS team believes that the problem of e-waste could be resolved by connecting different buyers and sellers of Used and Waste electronic equipment and components without compromising their interests.

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