**Exploring the Dark Side of Indian Start-ups Mining E-Waste for Battery Minerals**
Mohammad Abrar wakes up coughing most mornings. It’s not yet dawn but New Delhi is already blanketed in thick smog when he sets off for work. By 4am, Abrar, aged 50, reaches Seelampur, a small neighbourhood in the capital’s north-east suburbs, which is home to India’s largest electrical-waste market. The market’s narrow lanes are lined with small scrap stores overflowing with piles of broken computers, telephones, TVs, microwaves, washing machines, ACs, and end-of-life batteries.
**The Hidden World of Urban Mining in India**
Abrar is one of more than 50,000 informal workers, including women and children, who make a living sifting through thrown-out goods to recover valuable materials that can be recycled and eventually reused in modern technologies. In recent years, Abrar and his peers have become the backbone of a fast-growing network of start-ups seeking to extract energy transition minerals from e-waste in a process known as “urban mining.” Seelampur’s e-waste market is a vast treasure trove for the highly-coveted metals and minerals the world needs to shift from fossil fuels to clean energy systems and curb climate change.
**The Vital Role of E-Waste in Transition Minerals**
Charging cables for everyday items contain copper, a conductive metal used in virtually all electricity-related technologies. The aluminum in electronic components is needed to manufacture solar panels. But most sought after are batteries. The majority of electronics such as mobile phones, laptops, and vapes use batteries that contain lithium, cobalt, and nickel. The same minerals are used to make batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and storing renewable energy.
**Conclusion**
As we delve deeper into the world of urban mining in India, it becomes evident that the extraction of transition minerals from e-waste is not only vital for our technological advancements but also for the sustainability of our planet. The unsung heroes like Mohammad Abrar, working tirelessly in the shadows of the e-waste market, play a crucial role in this process. It is essential to recognize and support the informal workers and start-ups driving this industry forward, ensuring a cleaner, greener future for generations to come.
