HYDERABAD: The GHMC has launched a citizen-centric e-waste ecosystem with 30 drop-boxes at retail outlets and a soon-to-be introduced doorstep pickup service.
The initiative aims to address the city’s growing e-waste challenge by offering a simple, technology-enabled and accessible disposal mechanism. With rising electronic consumption, officials said Hyderabad contributes significantly to the country’s estimated 50 lakh tonnes of annual e-waste, much of which is improperly disposed of, leading to environmental and health risks.
GHMC said it has been conducting e-waste collection drives and awareness programmes since January this year, but is now moving towards a self-sustaining system. As part of the initiative, 30 uniformly designed drop-boxes have been set up in retail stores such as BigC, BNew, Happi, LOT, Sangeetha, Select and Touch, where citizens can deposit unwanted electronic items using QR-enabled access.
Commissioner RV Karnan launched the initiative at Happi and BigC stores in Ameerpet and demonstrated the process by depositing e-waste.
A doorstep pickup service is also set to go live soon, with certified recyclers including Earth Sense, Recytronics, Pure Earth, Z Enviro and Green Enviro roped in to collect e-waste directly from households. Items such as mobile phones, laptops, chargers, cables and small appliances will be handled as per environmental standards.