More green jobs likely to be generated in e-waste repair & recycling space

The growth of the repair and recycling sectors has picked up pace in the past few years owing to growing concerns around the environment and the subsequent move by the government to make enabling policies. As a result, a large number of green jobs are expected to be generated. Some companies have already started hiring for such positions.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, said in 2019 that the e-waste sector alone would create 4.5 lakh direct jobs by 2025. In addition, 1.8 lakh jobs would be created in the allied sectors of transportation and manufacturing, according to the global body.

Around 75 million tonnes of e-waste is expected to be created globally by 2030, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF).
The government is developing Right to Repair under its Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) movement, which focuses on sustainable consumption.

The framework is expected to make manufacturers share the details of their products such as mobile phones, automobiles, farming equipment and consumer electronics, so that consumers can repair these goods themselves or get these repaired by third parties. It provides a big opportunity to MSMEs in the services sector.
Experts say that the country is seeing similar trends in various sectors, predicting a sizable growth in waste production. Most of the e-waste ecosystem in the country is still being driven by the unorganised sector. 95% of the e-waste in India is being recycled in the non-formal sector and only 5% of the e-waste volume is treated by the formal sector. This is where lies an opportunity for the MSME sector.