Electronic waste, or e-waste, is Pakistan’s silent poison. It seeps into the soil, pollutes the air, and slowly erodes the health of people who have no choice but to work with it. Yet for most, it remains an invisible problem. This is not just a matter of garbage disposal. It is a public health emergency that needs urgent attention. Unless Pakistan acts quickly to regulate and formalize how we handle e-waste, the damage may soon be irreversible.

Pakistan produces an estimated half a million metric tons of e-waste every year.

Pakistan produces an estimated half a million metric tons of e-waste every year. This figure is increasing by more than ten percent annually. Added to this is almost a million tons of used electronics imported from abroad, much of it discarded by developed countries. Without proper recycling facilities, most of this waste ends up in the hands of informal recyclers who work in dangerous, unregulated conditions.

These workers, often including women and children, dismantle old electronics using open fires, acid baths, or crude smelting in small workshops. The result is dangerous contamination. Air quality tests in urban industrial zones show heavy metals like lead and zinc at levels far above what is safe. Soil samples reveal high concentrations of cadmium and manganese that can remain toxic for decades. People living near these areas have known for years that something is wrong. Now the data confirms it.

The impact on health is severe. Children exposed to lead through dismantling e-waste suffer from delayed development, learning problems, and permanent neurological damage. Adults develop chronic respiratory illnesses, skin diseases, and kidney issues. Women work without protective gear, inhaling toxic fumes daily. And entire neighborhoods, because of their proximity to these operations, are exposed to dangerous levels of pollution.

Public health experts warn that this kind of prolonged exposure leads to overlapping health crises that trap families in poverty. Illness makes it harder to work, which leads to more hardship, which in turn makes it impossible to break the cycle. In some of Pakistan’s poorest neighborhoods, e-waste has become part of a web of problems that feed off each other.

In 2022, Pakistan introduced its National Hazardous Waste Management Policy. While it was a positive step, e-waste remains largely unaddressed. The policy is broad, lacks enforceable mechanisms, and is not tailored to the specific realities of electronic waste management. Local governments have neither the resources nor the technical expertise to regulate the trade effectively.

Children exposed to lead through dismantling e-waste suffer from delayed development, learning problems, and permanent neurological damage.

We have seen that improvement is possible. The “Suthra Punjab” sanitation campaign proved that with political will and proper tools, public hygiene can improve. But e-waste is different. It cannot be addressed with general cleanup drives. It needs specialized legislation, dedicated enforcement, and proper infrastructure. What a National E-Waste Policy Should Include:

• Formalizing the sector by licensing recyclers, setting safety standards, and offering training. Workers should be clustered into formal recycling hubs where they can use safer technologies, access markets, and receive healthcare.
• Introducing Extended Producer Responsibility so manufacturers and importers are accountable for the safe disposal of their products. This would reduce the burden on the public and push companies to design products that are easier to recycle.
• Establishing safe collection points in communities and workplaces, along with incentive programs such as buyback schemes or discounts for returning old devices.
• Protecting and monitoring workers’ health by providing safety gear, access to healthcare, and regular medical check-ups, with special attention to women and children.
• Raising public awareness about the dangers of improper e-waste disposal through schools, media, and community programs.
• Giving local governments the resources and authority to regulate e-waste as part of their broader waste management plans.

If managed properly, e-waste could become a source of both environmental benefit and economic growth. Valuable metals like gold, silver, and copper can be recovered from discarded electronics. This would reduce Pakistan’s dependence on expensive imports and create new green jobs. A strong e-waste policy could also set the stage for tackling other waste challenges, from plastics to textiles, where similar informal recycling systems exist.

E-waste is different, it cannot be addressed with general cleanup drives; it needs specialized legislation, dedicated enforcement, and proper infrastructure.

It is no longer enough to rely on scattered NGO projects or small-scale initiatives. Pakistan needs a dedicated, enforceable national policy on e-waste that protects people, safeguards the environment, and creates long-term livelihoods. Achieving this will require political commitment, technical expertise, and active participation from communities.

E-waste may be silent, but the harm it causes is loud and clear for those willing to see it. We still have time to turn this around. The cost of action today will be far less than the cost of inaction tomorrow.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.