Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) is working with Chintan Environmental Research Action Group in India to help build a case to put better regulations and processes in place to reduce the impact of e-waste on workers and the environment. The SVTC team will bring its experiences back to interested readers through a blog. To get notifications when Sheila, Lauren, or Serena post a blog entry, just sign up for alerts.

To help address the global problem of electronic waste (eWaste) SVTC is teaming up with Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group on a research project to document the impact of e-waste on workers and communities in and around Delhi, India.

Background Information
Currently, the majority of e-waste collected for recycling in the U.S. is shipped to countries such as China, India, South Korea, Nigeria, Malaysia, Mexico, Vietnam and Brazil. In 2006, California alone shipped an estimated 20 million pounds of e-waste to these countries. According to Chintan's Executive Director, in Delhi and Mumbai, two destinations for U.S. e-wase, Men and women pick out, burn and smash e-waste with their bare hands. Many people, in The United States and abroad, are unaware that this e-waste is full of hazardous chemicals, including lead, mercury, and brominated flame retardants.

Impacts of the dismantling on the workers and their communities is high. For this reason, staff from SVTC will be traveling to Delhi to work with Chintan on documenting this occurrence to increase awareness of this tragic issue.

About the Teams Involved:
Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group is a non-governmental organization (NGO) registered under the Registration of Societies Act of 1860. Chintan addresses issues of sustainable consumption and environmental and social justice.

Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) is a diverse organization engaged in research, advocacy and grassroots organizing to promote human health and environmental justice in response to the rapid growth of the high-tech industry.