New Delhi, Apr 4 (KNN) The e-waste sector has significant potential to contribute to the country's economy and generate employment, said an official from Ministry of Environment.

Appreciating the work of International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of World Bank Group at the conference on 'E-Waste Management in India: The Way Forward', Joint Director of Hazardous Substances Management Division, Ministry of Environment, Sonu Singh said that the government is happy to see the commitment from the IFC in helping the sector grow in a responsible manner.

He said “The e-waste sector has significant potential to contribute to the country's economy and generate employment. The electrical and electronics industry has been cooperating with the government and has shown considerable initiative for handling e-waste responsibly.”

If the responsibility is shared between the government, producers, and consumers of e-waste, then efficient management of e-waste can be successfully achieved in India, he added.

Singh further stated “We are happy to see the commitment from IFC in helping the sector grow in a responsible manner.”

The electronic waste sector will create 4.5 lakh direct jobs by 2025 and another 1.8 lakh jobs in the allied sectors of transportation and manufacturing, said International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of World Bank Group.

The IFC, which has been working in the e-waste sector since 2012, said under a program launched by it in 2017, over 4,000 metric tons of e-waste has been collected from citizens and corporations and recycled responsibly under the program.

Electronic waste or e-waste is discarded electrical or electronic devices. Used electronics destined for reuse, resale, salvage, recycling, or disposal are also considered e-waste.