To give and to forget: Jakartans dump gadgets their own way

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 10/23/2009 12:22 PM  |  City

Copper digger: Workers extract copper from electronic junk at a pay of Rp 2,000 (21 US cents) a kilogram, in Cempaka Putih, East Jakarta, on Sunday. Factories buy the copper at a price of Rp 90,000 a kilogram. JP/Ricky Yudhistira

As hedonism marries electronics with fashion these days, one goes through gadgets faster than a pair of sneakers. The problem is disposing of the electronic waste, or e-waste.

Obsolete gadgets fill rubbish dumps around the world, a testament to consumer culture.

In Jakarta, generosity seems to be one way to get rid of "pre-loved" gadgets. A used computer, cellular phone, or even radio, is accepted with open arms, rather than ending up in a landfill.

"When I no longer have use for a computer, I usually give it away," Bey Harry, a computer programmer, said.

Bey gave his last computer to his nephew, who took it gladly.

However, when he couldn't find anyone to adopt his used electronics, he would sell them to scrap metal dealers who would buy them at a modest price.

"At least you can buy a pack of cigarettes with the money," he said. During the last five years, Bey has changed computers twice.

The recycling business -scrap metal dealers, used cell phone sellers, and people who buy broken electronic goods to repair them or salvage their components- has been a part of the capital for decades.

However, apart from the "resell, recycle" informal sector, there are few e-waste managment systems in the city.

"Electronic waste is included in the hazardous and toxic waste category, thus it is managed by the central government, not regional authorities," head of the Jakarta Sanitation Agency Eko Bharuna told The Jakarta Post via text message Monday.

The loophole, he said, meant the recycling method currently used heavily involved the informal sector.

Scrap metal dealers usually dissect the gadgets -the plastic, metal, copper and other materials- before taking the components to different places to be melted down and recycled.

The work involves direct contact with toxic chemicals, which is a major health hazard.

A representative from the Friends of the Environment Fund (Dana Mitra Lingkungan), Maryanto, said responsibility should ultimately come from the producers of the goods.

"Companies should be responsible for their own waste through an extended producers' responsibility method," he said.

Nokia Indonesia, in cooperation with TES-AMM Indonesia - an e-waste recycling company, has taken steps to reduce its own e-waste.

Their program encourages cell phone owners to drop used phones - Nokia or otherwise- into one of the 91 boxes provided in Nokia Care Centers throughout the country.

As much as 80 percent of Nokia phone components can be safely recycled and used to make various goods, the remaining 20 percent can be used in a recycling program to generate energy.

The Give and Grow program is part of Nokia's global recycling campaign.

"So far we have received 7,031 used phones and 2,010 accesories, mostly in Jakarta. The response has been relatively enthusiastic," Ika Fitriyanti, a Nokia Indonesia spokeswoman, said. (dis)

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