Electronic waste from used cell phones, refrigerators, televisions, printers, and washing machines contain various minerals and metals that may potentially pollute the environment if not managed properly, according to Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) Laksana Tri Handoko.
Last year, the United Nations also indicated that this issue could become a future disaster for human life.
The 2024 global electronic waste monitoring report recently released by the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the UN International Telecommunications Union (ITU) states that the growth of electronic waste worldwide has reached 2.6 million metric tons per year.
According to the report, electronic waste is estimated to reach 82 million tons worldwide by 2030.
Meanwhile, in Indonesia, electronic waste amounted to 2 million tons in 2021, with Java Island contributing to 56 percent of the waste, based on the Ministry of Environment and Forestry data.
Handoko assessed that the accumulation of electronic waste in the country was caused by its processing, which has not been well developed.
Furthermore, the high processing costs mean that a significant amount of electronic waste remains with collectors and sorters before being exported to China for large-scale processing.
Plastic Project Leader of Greenpeace Indonesia Ibar Akbar highlighted that electronic waste management in Indonesia is not yet optimal.
"It requires special processing by the certified stakeholders. Not all regions (in Indonesia) have a place or a stakeholder to manage electronic waste,” Akbar noted.
Hence, he suggested that manufacturers create a roadmap for managing electronic waste generated by their products.
The roadmap must prioritize products that are durable and can be repaired. Additionally, electronic manufacturers should assume responsibility for managing damaged products.
Meanwhile, the government is encouraged to find the latest data and identify current market trends, such as electronic purchases made through e-commerce platforms and the types of electronic products selling well in the market.
He noted that the correct and proper processing of electronic waste can also begin by sorting it from organic waste, plastic, or other types of waste.
To support such effort, the government is expected to provide dropbox points or electronic waste collection services to ensure proper sorting.
Head of the BRIN Mining Impact Management Research Group Maitrise Adji Kawigraha identified the biggest challenge in electronic waste collection as people's tendency to hoard these items.
He pointed out that most Indonesians still store electronic waste at home for various reasons. As a result of this habit, only 5 percent of Indonesia's electronic waste undergoes processing.
Electronic waste processing necessitates proper extraction methods to prevent various hazardous metals from being improperly collected for reuse or further processed for disposal.
Innovation continues
To address this issue, BRIN is currently developing an extraction technology that processes electronic waste efficiently at a reasonably low price.
All research supporting this technology's development is being carried out along with the BRIN Mining Technology Research Center.
BRIN is developing processing technology to decompose electronic waste based on pyrometallurgy and environmentally friendly hydrometallurgy, especially for electronic PCBs and lithium batteries, which are categorized as electronic waste.
This technology can process various types of electronic waste, including cell phones, from which high-value gold is primarily extracted.
Large and small household appliances, such as refrigerators, air conditioners (AC), and washing machines, are processed to recover copper and iron, which are then melted back into materials of economic value.
Based on the processing technology developed by BRIN, currently, electronic waste from IT equipment, rechargeable batteries, as well as large and small household appliances can be decomposed using environmentally friendly pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy.
Electronic waste undergoes a separation process involving manually removing or dismantling small parts of electronic products, especially components containing plastic or polymers.
The metal components subsequently undergo a combination of combustion-based processes (pyrometallurgy) and an acid-based leaching method (hydrometallurgy).
Pyrometallurgy is employed to remove plastics that are difficult to separate manually or physically from metal parts. Meanwhile, hydrometallurgy is used to dissolve and isolate metals from electronic waste as salt solutions.
The recovered metals can serve as semi-finished materials for industries that require them.
In addition, BRIN is currently focusing on the collection process or supply chain of electronic waste by developing a community-based urban mining model for electronic waste management in synergy with universities, local governments, and local or global NGOs.
Collaboration is key
However, for electronic waste processing to run optimally, related ministries and institutions, such as the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Ministry of Industry, as well as the Ministry of Education and Culture, must collaborate to encourage the development of more comprehensive and integrated policies for electronic waste management.
Collaboration can also facilitate the provision of resources and funds for research and development of more efficient and environmentally friendly electronic waste processing technology.
The government should immediately revise or develop more inclusive policies to accommodate the role of the informal sector in electronic waste management, including determining clear roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders involved in electronic waste management, both formal and informal sectors.
On the other hand, there is a need to strengthen local electronic waste collection infrastructure, including by providing collection points that are easily accessible to the public.
Better cooperation with the informal sector needs to be fostered to ensure that the collection and processing of electronic waste is carried out responsibly according to their respective roles.
To raise public awareness, the government can start developing educational programs through social media and public campaigns to disseminate information about the dangers of electronic waste and the need to manage it.
Local communities require training on the proper electronic waste management and comprehensive explanations of the roles and responsibilities of each entity involved in waste management.
Research must also continue so the country develops more efficient and environmentally friendly technologies to separate and recycle materials from electronic waste, in addition to expanding the community-based urban mining model to increase community participation in waste management.
By developing inter-ministerial collaboration, improving public education, strengthening collection infrastructure, and supporting technological innovation, electronic waste management in Indonesia is expected to become more effective and sustainable.
This approach will not only reduce the negative impacts of electronic waste but also create new economic opportunities for the community.
Translator: Hreeloita Dharma Shanti, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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