Mobitel, CEA conduct e-waste management week

Mobitel with the Central Environment Authority (CEA) launched an e-waste management project under the theme 'An e-waste free Sri Lanka' to support safe and environment-friendly disposal of electronic waste products.

As a leading corporate citizen of the country, Mobitel provided its fullest support to the CEA in an e-waste management initiative, to resolve the growing environmental crisis created due to the hazardous disposal of electronic waste.

A part of the initiative was 'National e-Waste Management Week', which was held from May 26 to June 2. To mark the occasion Memoranda of Understanding was signed by the CEA and all its partner organisations including Mobitel at the BMICH on May 26.

The primary objective of the e-waste initiative was to minimise the adverse impact on the environment caused by the harmful disposal of electronic items which have become essential in the modern age.

The increased use of devices such as computers, cellular phones, printers, CDs and DVDs have transformed people's lifestyles as old electronic items are discarded and replaced by more technologically superior devices to keep up with modern trends.

The harmful disposal of e-waste could drastically damage the environmental equilibrium due to contamination caused by poisonous chemical components in electronic waste products such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, halogens, lead, mercury and polyvinyl chloride which could ultimately lead to detrimental effects on the lives of people and the environment.

Mobitel cooperated in this initiative by collecting used mobile phones which people wanted to discard at Mobitel outlets countrywide.

Mobitel will launch its own e-waste initiative in the Kandy district while other organisations that have partnered with the CEA will bring focus to their e-waste projects in other parts of the country.

CEA Director General Dr. Saranga Alahapperuma said, "The Central Environment Authority is working towards minimising harm to humans and the environment that occur due to negligent e-waste disposal. e-waste management has been a continuing challenge for countries such as the United States and China, and as a rapidly developing country, Sri Lanka too must focus on the management of e-waste products."

"The Mahinda Chinthana vision for the future, emphasises the need for an inclusive management system for solid waste. However, we cannot do this individually.

It is essential to have the support of all stakeholders and groups in the country," he said.