Untapped Knowledge in India’s E-Waste Industry

This book focuses on the economic, political, and cultural factors that make up India’s “informal processors,” which are the highly networked, multi-generational systems that reuse, repurpose, and otherwise dispose of 80% of India’s electronic waste. The research includes insight from more than ninety interviews with forty-nine key stakeholders working within India’s e-waste processing industry.



This vital resource explores the complexities of the e-waste industry, and it comprehensively explains the importance of developing context-specific solutions that leverage the inherent strengths of informal processors. The resulting resource offers a counterpoint to mainstream arguments that dismiss the value of expertise from informal processors.