InstaCash, Author at InstaCash

June 26, 2015

Who plays with your old e-toys?

WHO had raised several concerns regarding children health and injuries through e-waste. A recent study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), revealed that over 35,000 to 45,000 child labourers aged between 10–14 works around the e-waste areas, and faces several injuries and deaths while dismantling the e-waste. There is a strong force from the chamber for effective legislation in preventing the poor children from such working areas. We are exhibiting a techno-aligned life and in doing so we are consciously or unconsciously impacting various other lives with an add-on evil for nature.

“Update: ZeroWaste is now InstaCash”

The hideous profile of India

Delhi, itself produces roughly around 50,000 metric tons of e-waste. With a GDP growth of 7.5 percent, and a population of 125cr, India ranks high in terms of e-waste generation.
The ASSOCHAM report highlights that as many as 8,500 mobile phones, 5,500 TVs and 3,000 personal computers are dismantled in the capital city, Delhi every day for reuse of their component parts and materials.
The figure is booming with the advent of technology and new launches. Delhi has emerged as the main hub of e-waste recycling in the country with the e-waste from Mumbai, Bangalore and other cities reaching in there.

Their Health, Our Concern

The mounds of junk or e-waste has created as a great source for poor children to satiate their playful self by these e-gadgets which is a waste for riches but the only joyous element for them. The e-waste has certain toxic elements like lead, mercury, and cadmium which harms the health as well as injures the children. The dumping zone or the trash is accumulated in an open ground where they reach with their families to become prey of these fancy waste products. The exposure to these harmful by-products can lead to nausea, irritability, vomiting and several other ailments to a healthy person, then till what extent it can affect children?

Where are we heading?

The implementation of strong legislation for proper recycling and organized dumping is quite essential at this point of time. It apparently needs awareness and an eye-opener for those who dispose their old goods unethically. Children have a right to education, smile, play, joy, everything. They need to be protected from this misfortune. In this battle, one of the biggest wildcards can only be human behavior. If people are not convinced to participate in this race, even the best designed system will collapse. Therefore, we as humans need to practice our duties and establish a rigid structure of organized discarding.

Note: This post was originally published in June 2015 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

June 19, 2015

Exterminate E-Waste before it Exterminates Us

Simple, innocent and very useful are the working electronics and electronics in our lives. Past their useful lives these are horrendous monsters. Discarded at home and work place these start disintegrating and become ready source of harmful and hazardous substances. Fatal to our health and extremely poisonous to our environment these need to be disposed from our lives and surroundings.

“Update: ZeroWaste is now InstaCash”

E Waste Toxic that affects health and environment when dumped

E-Wastes contain Lead, Mercury, Cadmium and flame retardants that cause multiple toxic Problems. If not properly handled these leach into our natural water reservoirs and rivers. Untreated water finds a way back into our farms, forests and foods. Some of these are very fatal and once released into the environment contaminate all our surroundings with far reaching harmful for generations to come

E — Waste & their Toxic Compounds
For easy reference, listed under are the commonly found E — Waste in our lives and the toxic elements / compounds or the product they effuse at the end of their life cycle:

E — Waste Form

Element / Compound

(in alphabetical order)

Harmful Effects

Medical equipment, Fire detectors, active sensing element in smoke detectors

Americium

Once in the body, americium-241 tends to concentrate in the bone, liver, and muscle. It can stay in the body for decades and continue to expose the surrounding tissues to radiation, and increase your risk of developing cancer. Released in the environment contaminates air, soil and waters.

LED (Light Emitting Diodes)

Arsenic (Gallium Arsenide)

Extreme exposure to Arsenic can lead to Skin diseases, reduced nerve conduction and Lung Cancer.CRT, Spark Plugs, Fluorescent Lamps

Barium

Can lead to Brain Swelling, Muscle atrophy, Damage to heart, liver & spleen,Power Supply Boxes & X Ray Lenses

Beryllium

Inhalation of beryllium dust, fumes or mist can cause, Lung Cancer & Berillycosis.Skin exposed to beryllium can lead to poor wound healing and wart-like bumps.Fire retardants for Plastics, Printed Circuit Boards and CasingsBrominated Fire Retardants — Tetrabromo-Bisphenol-A, Polybrominated Biphenyls, Polybrominated Diphenyl EthersBurning these materials release dioxins & other toxins which lead to Severe Hormonal DisorderRechargeable NiCd-batteries, Fluorescent layer (CRT screens), Printer inks and toners, Photocopying-machines (printer drums)

Cadmium

Cadmium is taken into our bodies through Respiration & Food. It has strong tendency to accumulate in our bodies and environment. It leads to severe damage of Kidneys & Lungs. Causes flu like symptoms, weakness, fever, headaches, muscular pain, Pulmonary Emphysema & Bone Disease.Cooling Units, Insulation Foams

CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons)

When released into the atmosphere, they accumulate in the stratosphere and have a deleterious effect on the ozone layer. This results in increased incidence of Skin Cancer in Humans and in Genetic Damage in many organisms.Data Tapes, Floppy Disks

Chromium

Cellular changes & DNA damage. Harmful to eyes, skin & mucous membraneLead-acid batteries, Electronic Components, Cable Sheathing, CRT Glass & Solders

Lead

Appetite loss, Abdominal pain, Constipation, Fatigue, Sleeplessness, Irritability and headache. Kidney Damage, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Convulsions, Coma or even Death. Amongst young children it can damage nervous connections and cause blood and brain disorders.Batteries, some switches and thermostats, and fluorescent lamps

Mercury

Bio-accumulates causing brain and liver damage if ingested or inhaledDielectric fluids for capacitors and transformers, Heat transfer fluids and as additives in adhesives and plastics.

Poly Chlorinated Bi Phenyls

Serious non-cancer health effects in animals, including effects on the immune system, reproductive system, nervous system, endocrine system and other health effects. PCBs are persistent contaminants in the environment.Cable insulation

Poly Vinyl Chloride

When burnt produces large quantities of hydrogen chloride gas, which combines with water to form hydrochloric acid and is dangerous because when inhaled, leads to respiratory problems.Older photocopying-machines (photo drums)

Selenium

Selenosis causing hair loss, nail brittleness, and neurological abnormalities (such as numbness and other odd sensations in the extremities).Interior of CRT screens, mixed with rare earth metals. Dry Cell Batteries

Zinc Sulphide

Exposure to large amounts of zinc can be harmful. It can cause stomach cramps, anemia, and changes in cholesterol levels.

ZeroWaste as an authorized E Waste Management Company collects the discarded electronic & electrical equipments through its Smart Exchange™ & Collection Stores. You may contact us to get your e waste picked and receive instant cash payment.

info@getinstacash.in | www.getinstacash.in

Note: This post was originally published in June 2015 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

June 1, 2015

7 Traditional Ways & Beliefs to Kill Environment

Our traditions have given shape to our thinking and beliefs and have made the character of our nation. We are very proud of it. However, with newer challenges increasingly facing us,which in the times to come, would turn into gargantuan proportions, if we do not mend our ways and get our acts together. This write up is a light hearted take on our ways we address the problem of E Waste traditionally with our love for hoarding and the plausible justifications we may offer!

“Update: ZeroWaste is now InstaCash”

Keeping Clutter traditions Intact: To the west, cluttering is supposed to reflect the state of mind, but to us in India, it is an art, and it is our tradition. Clutter is our way of life. And we wholeheartedly subscribe to Einstein view. “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?
Now that great minds also affirm our way of life how can we empty our houses of clutter? Einstein or no Einstein, we known long before anybody could point us, right from our childhood that we are foresighted, and we plan ahead. We always save for the event when our clutter one day would rescue the need to go out and buy a new part or a spare. So clutters in our homes are for great reasons.
Stick to Stacking: We have it in us, all programmed in our genes. Thus we stack. We stack up groceries before the budget is announced, we stack petrol at the midnight before price hike and we are known globally to stack up gold in shimmering million tones. Traditionally we have been a nation of stackers, stacking every banal item which has long lost its significance in our lives. Thus we have our natural reasons for what makes us what we are.
Practice Utilitarian Creativity: To most of us it is sacrilegious to give away even our most unused dilapidated, several generations over, discarded house hold stuffs. We have honed the skills to turn them into utility, to fit inside our 20 X20 spaces. Our old refrigerators metamorphose into cabinets for scrap or raddi. Cables and wires become the stethoscopes in our children role playing acts, the batteries become paper weights. We turn the scraps into utility and at times into abstract art. Salvador Dali would have loved to be born as an Indian.
Live the Present: For a nation wanting to long-jump into development, our advice is Stack before You Leap. Healthy life and environment clean air and Swachh Bharat are too distant ideal. We need to concentrate on the present, Stack Up for the Future!
Belief in Our Karma: They tell us the earth is getting less green because we stack. Now can somebody tell us how our stacking lead to environment pollution? Our parents stacked, their parents stacked and for innumerable generations we have stacked. Nothing changed because of the hoarding, stashing and stacking. How then we still have good air to breathe ample water coming into our taps. Our Children then must stack. The environment if it is turning grey from green, it is ordained to be such. Our karma has resulted into our present living condition. If the fate of our children has something in store which is different than green then it would be to purify them from past karma.
Philanthropy is good for Economy: We do our philanthropic bit by giving the kabbadi wala some of our stuffs. It becomes his livelihood. He has his small place where he burns the stuffs into something which the big scarp dealers buy from him. These Scrap dealers then do something which they pass on to someone and that someone passes on to some other one. So our philanthropic stuff makes money for all and adds to the economy. But whatever it does to the ecology is not our concern. By the end of the day we feel happy for the little kabaddi wala.
All Merge into One: What the kabbadi wala cannot sell goes into his stacks or goes for burning or into severs or drains or rivers or rivulets. Or close to our cities for landfills. What we had extracted from the Earth goes back to the Mother Nature. For all things will eventually merge into her sooner or later. Our efforts seem small, polluting but it finally ends into the beginning. This is our belief!

Note: This post was originally published in June 2015 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.