7 minute read
Karo Sambhav
Karo Sambhav: Leading the Way for E-waste Management in Goa
Electronic waste, or e-waste, is a rapidly growing problem around the world, with millions of tons of electronics being disposed of every year. The improper disposal of e-waste poses a significant threat to the environment and human health, as toxic chemicals and materials can leach into the soil, water, and air. In India, 95% of e-waste recycling is done by the informal sector, which often lacks proper safety protocols and puts workers at risk.
Enter Karo Sambhav, a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) authorized Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) that is committed to transforming the way e-waste is managed in India. With its headquarters in Gurugram, Haryana, Karo Sambhav has been operating in Goa since 2019. It aims to create awareness regarding the proper disposal and collection of e-waste across the state.
One of the key individuals overseeing the operations of the Goa unit of Karo Sambhav is Steve Souza, Assistant Manager, Karo Sambhav-Goa. A lawyer by qualification, Steve has for the past four years been on a mission to protect and save the environment by raising awareness about the proper disposal of ewaste. He recognizes the importance of e-waste management and is working towards providing endto-end solutions for proper disposal, including organizing e-waste collection drives, and awareness sessions, and managing all channels of e-waste procurement.
In a brief chat with ItsGoa, Steve shared more details about Karo Sambhav, the work that it does, the services it provides, major challenges that Karo Sambhav faces while dealing with e-waste in Goa, and lots more…
Give us a brief overview of Karo Sambhav. Karo Sambhav translates into ‘Make Possible' and is committed to transforming the way e-waste is managed by putting accountability, transparency, and trust in the system.
It is one of India’s first Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) authorized Producer Responsibility Organisations (PRO). It provides services to prominent brands on holistic management of e-waste as per E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016. It is the first and the only PRO in Asia to become a member of the WEEE Forum.
Karo Sambhav develops socially responsible, and financially sound circular solutions by collaborating with disintegrated players like brands, consumers, institutions, waste pickers and aggregators, recyclers, regulatory bodies, municipal corporations, NGOs, social ventures, etc.
It is recognised as a leading and highly trusted organization in the space of circular economy. It was also recognized as the ‘Social Entrepreneur of the Year India – 2021’ by the Schwab Foundation (the sister organization of the World Economic Forum).
It has strategic alliances with governments, UN agencies, and global think tanks to develop industry settings and globally harmonized systems. Its alliances include the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), International Finance Corporation (IFC- a part of the World Bank Group), GIZ (development corporation body of Germany), Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), and Carbon Busters.
Karo Sambhav started its operations in Goa in 2019 with an aim to create awareness regarding the proper responsible disposal of e-waste across the state. We have established strategic alliances and have been working with organizations like GWMC (Goa Waste Management Corporation) and SPCB (State Pollution Control Board) in the state for better impact.
Give us details about the various services provided by Karo Sambhav here in Goa.
Karo Sambhav has been organizing e-waste collection drives, and conducting interactive awareness sessions to sensitize the consumers. We support organizations and individual consumers with services like collection of their e-waste, logistics, and responsible recycling and provide auditable proofs of execution at every step.
We provide convenient pick-up options through our mobile van pick-ups. Our collection centre is also open for consumers to visit and drop off their e-waste. We assist bulk consumers (institutes, universities, banks, government and private offices, etc.) in filling their annual e-waste returns to SPCB.
Does Karo Sambhav conduct awareness campaigns concerning e-waste management and waste disposal in schools and colleges in Goa?
Yes. We have done over 150 awareness sessions over the last 4 years in Goa. We have engaged with communities, industries, panchayats, various RWAs, colleges, schools and offices through these awareness sessions.
Does Karo Sambhav have its own e-waste recycling plant in Goa?
No. We do not have an e-waste recycling plant in Goa as of now. Karo Sambhav sister concern Circularity Solutions Pvt Ltd has its own dismantling facility in Modinagar, Uttar Pradesh.
Karo Sambhav currently moves e-waste collected in Goa to Nashik, Modinagar and Chennai for responsible recycling.
Kindly elaborate on any e-waste management schemes that Karo Sambhav offers in Goa. We do e-waste collections from bulk consumers, ewaste aggregators (scrap dealers), electronics retailers, repair shops, and also from household collections by doing door-step collections.
We regularly run awareness campaigns through social media platforms, WhatsApp groups, etc. to inform the citizens about our upcoming mobile van collection drives. Based on the interest we gather and queries received, the route is designed and pickups are arranged.
Once the individual/resident drops their e-waste, we weigh it and do on-the-spot payments by doing an online transfer. Online transactions help us in keeping records and also builds trust and transparency in the system.
What are the major challenges that Karo Sambhav faces while dealing with e-waste in Goa? Awareness and ease of participation for consumers are the two most critical factors for the success of our programmes in Goa. We are glad to share that we do see a visible increase in awareness levels of consumers if we compare it to when we just started. We have also consistently worked to make it easy for individuals to participate, resulting in a better collection from Goa each passing year.
Having said that, we do face some challenges such as:
Collections in small quantities – When the collection requests are for smaller quantities, and from locations that are not so well connected, it becomes challenging. The recycling returns don’t even cover the logistics cost we put in for such pick-ups.
Transportation to the recycler – As we don’t have any authorized recycler in Goa, we have to dispatch the e-waste out of the state for further processing and hence it increases the cost of storage and logistics.
Give us details about various e-waste collection drives that Karo Sambhav has done in Goa during the last 4 years. Also, mention areas in Goa where you intend to expand your collection drives in the coming months.
We have done collections from 4 types of stakeholders in Goa which includes: Bulk Consumers, Aggregators, Retailers and Home Channels. Since our operations began in 2019, we have so far collected 1,31,310 kg of e-waste which has been sent for responsible recycling.
We plan to expand the drives in Panaji, Mapusa, Bicholim and other talukas. We want to cover the majority of the areas in Goa depending upon the interest and responsibility shown by the citizens to dispose of the e-waste through responsible channels.
Finally, what message would you like to share with all our readers concerning the proper disposal of ewaste?
Always dispose of your e-waste responsibly. Hand it over only to authorized collectors or recyclers. Don't hand it over to informal waste collectors like local scrap dealers and rag pickers.
Do not dispose of the e-waste in garbage bins along with municipal waste that ultimately reaches landfills.
Please mention a contact number that people can call on to contact Karo Sambhav and organize an ewaste collection drive in their locality If a society or an individual wants to do an e-waste collection drive with Karo Sambhav , they can reach out to us on:
Mobile: 8698916279/9511730691 Toll-Free number: 1800-2121-434
Email: engage@karosambhav.com
We have our e-waste collection centre in Tivim on the following address: Auchit Waddo, Tivim, Mapusa, 403502
