Youth urged to take action against e-waste pollution

Electronic waste (e-waste) is increasing in Bangladesh alongside the growing use of technology, posing serious threats to the environment and public health due to improper disposal and management.

Against this backdrop, environmental activists have called on young people to raise awareness and play an active role in promoting environmentally friendly e-waste management practices.

They made the call at an awareness campaign organised on Saturday at Bashundhara City Shopping Complex in Panthapath and its surrounding areas in the capital.

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The campaign was jointly organised by Volunteer for Environment (VFE) and YOUCAN, with overall support from Vangariwala.

Speakers at the programme said discarded electronic products, including mobile phones, laptops, computers, televisions, damaged batteries and chargers, may contain hazardous substances such as lead, mercury and cadmium.

Disposing of such waste with regular household garbage or burning it in open spaces can contaminate soil, water and air, while also causing long-term adverse effects on human health, they said.

YOUCAN Founder Yudhishthir Chandra Biswas said coordinated initiatives involving young people, volunteer organisations and relevant institutions were necessary to bring effective changes to e-waste management.

"To improve e-waste management, we need coordinated efforts among young people, volunteer organisations and relevant institutions. Alongside raising awareness, we must also promote responsible waste management practices," he said.

Sheikh Shah Rukh Farhan, director of Volunteer for Environment, said young people should not limit their efforts to personal awareness but also encourage responsible waste management practices within their families and communities.

"Young people must take an active role in spreading awareness about responsible waste management among their families and communities to prevent e-waste pollution," he said.

Nasim Nek, entrepreneur of Vangariwala, said electronic waste should not be treated like ordinary garbage but collected properly and brought under organised recycling systems.

He stressed the importance of effectively involving workers engaged in scrap collection and waste management in the process.

The speakers further said e-waste management had emerged as a major environmental challenge for a densely populated and climate-vulnerable country like Bangladesh.

Although the use of technology is increasing, adequate systems for collecting, segregating and safely recycling electronic waste have yet to be developed, they said, stressing the need for effective initiatives and greater public awareness.

They also noted that e-waste management was not solely the responsibility of the government. Citizens, educational institutions, manufacturers, businesses and young people must work together to address the problem.

As part of the campaign, awareness leaflets were distributed among members of the public and business owners at Bashundhara City Shopping Complex and surrounding areas.

People were encouraged not to dispose of unusable electronic products indiscriminately but to deposit them at designated collection centres. They were also urged to repair and reuse electronic products where possible and ensure that discarded items were recycled safely.

The organisers said they would continue such initiatives to raise awareness about e-waste management at family, educational institution and community levels. They also plan to organise larger public engagement programmes in the future.

The campaign's central slogan was: "Recycle, Rethink, Reform, Reuse."