IIT MADRAS TO DEVELOP ONLINE PLATFORM ‘E-SOURCE’

IIT MADRAS TO DEVELOP ONLINE PLATFORM ‘E-SOURCE’

Context:

IIT Madras is in the process of building an online platform called e-Source that will be used to deal with e-waste.

Key Points About e-Source:

• E-Source will be used to address e-waste by linking stakeholders of the formal and informal economy.
• E-Source will serve as an exchange platform to serve as an online marketplace for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE).
• It will also serve as an official supply chain among several stakeholders, including buyers and sellers.
• The initiative is led by the Indo-German Center for Sustainability (IGCS).
• According to the IGCS team, the e-waste problem can be solved by connecting buyers and sellers of used electronic devices and applications without compromising their interests.

Significance of e-Source:

• To legitimize waste handling and management, an open-source solution is needed for disclosure because, e-waste is completely extracted to obtain precious metals and other valuable items or disposed of waste disposal sites, without assessing potential recycling. Such unscriptural recycling methods harm waste managers and the environment.

Features of e-Source:

• A unique feature of the e-Source initiative is that it will deploy a detection system that uses a combination of image processing and natural language processing techniques to get product information and upload it to the database. Furthermore, it can be self-certified by means of prescribed standard protocols.