E-waste: Cash rich, but challenges galore

Electronic waste (e-waste) management firms are grappling with a unique duality in their business. While the segment is seeing a positive funding sentiment thanks to the regulatory tailwinds on the one hand, it is dealing with challenges money cannot solve permanently on the other hand.

Various e-waste management firms that FE spoke to pointed out that given the nascent state of the sector and the need for rapid scaling up in the processing of e-waste, the main challenge is to find viable and sustainable solutions to issues like reverse logistics and safety. According to industry executives, companies in the sector have raised around $100 million in the last year.