E[co]work: Co-working spaces for inclusive e-waste management

The E\[co\]work project aims to design a socially inclusive solution for informal micro-entrepreneurs of the e-waste sector in India and enable their transition and integration with the formal sector. India generates nearly 2 million tons of e-waste annually, with more than 90% of it treated by these informal micro-entrepreneurs. Over 12000 persons, predominantly from minority and migrant communities are engaged in dismantling e-waste in and around Delhi alone. Though this informal sector provides jobs and livelihoods for many families at the base of the pyramid, the unsound and hazardous work practices have proven to be harmful not only to the health of the dismantlers but also to their communities. Based in densely populated residential areas, these practices are polluting the environment and their surrounding neighbourhoods.

Adapting the concept of co-working spaces to the informal e-waste sector, E\[co\]work facilities aim to offer affordable, safe and healthy work spaces with appropriate tools, protective equipment, ventilation, lighting and machines, as well as access to additional support services and training for banking, healthcare, insurance, business administration that are currently not available to these disadvantaged groups.