The National Mobile Service Provider Mobitel has joined hands with the Central Environment Authority (CEA) for the launch of the e-Waste management project, under the slogan “An e-waste free Sri Lanka” to support the safe and environmentally friendly disposal of electronic waste products.

As a leading corporate citizen of the country, Mobitel has always demonstrated its commitment to matters of national importance and thus has chosen to provide its fullest support to the CEA in an e-waste management initiative, in an effort to resolve the growing environmental crisis created due to the hazardous disposal of electronic waste items.

A special part of the initiative is “National e-Waste Management Week”, which would be held from May 26 to June 2, 2014. To mark the occasion a Memoranda of Understanding would be signed by the CEA and all its partner organisations including Mobitel at the BMICH on the May 26.

The primary objective of the e-Waste initiative is to minimize the adverse impact on the environment that is caused by the harmful disposal of electronic items which have become essential in the modern age. The increased usage of devices such as computers, cellular phones, printers, CDs and DVDs have transformed peoples lifestyles as old electronic items are discarded and replaced by  more technologically superior devices to keep up with modern trends.

The harmful disposal of e-Waste could drastically damage the environmental equilibrium due to contamination caused by poisonous chemical components in electronic waste products such as Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Halogens, Lead, Mercury and Polyvinyl Chloride which could ultimately lead to detrimental effects to the lives of people as well as the environment.

Mobitel has stepped in to provide its cooperation in this initiative by giving people the opportunity to hand in used mobile phones which they wish to discard, at any Mobitel outlet countrywide. Mobitel would launch its own e-Waste initiative in the Kandy district while other organisations that have partnered with the CEA would bring focus to their respective e-Waste projects in other parts of the country.

Speaking on the occasion, CEA Director General Dr. Saranga Alahapperuma stated, “We at the Central Environment Authority are working towards minimizing the harmful risks on humans and the environment that occur due to negligent e-Waste disposal. e-Waste management has been a continued challenge for countries such the United States and China, and as a rapidly developing country, Sri Lanka too must bring its focus to the management of e-Waste products. The “Mahinda Chinthana vision for the future”, emphasizes the pressing need for an inclusive management system for solid waste. However we cannot do this individually as it is essential to have the support of all stakeholders and groups in the country.  I am thankful to Mobitel and a number of other establishments that have stepped forward to support us in this initiative.

Any discarded e-Waste could be handed over to collection centers at the CEA head office, regional offices, district offices and other partner organisations including Mobitel. For more information callers could contact the CEA on 071 9692005 for further details.