The Suchitwa Mission has collected 31 tonnes of electronic waste (e-waste) from Wayanad in the first phase of a campaign to make it the country’s “first fully e-waste-free model district” by November 1.

The first phase of the campaign, conducted from September 28 to 30, 2026, focussed on removing accumulated e-waste from government offices across the district. The collection was carried out jointly by the district administration, local self-government institutions, and the Suchitwa Mission.

Kalpetta and Sultan Bathery accounted for 12 tonnes each, while five tonnes were collected from Mananthavady and two tonnes from Panamaram. The collected e-waste was handed over to the Clean Kerala Company for scientific processing and disposal.

Wayanad was declared a completely e-waste-free district among government institutions on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti, as part of the campaign. Officials said the exercise would be expanded beyond government offices to ensure the systematic collection and scientific disposal of discarded electronic equipment across the district.

The second phase will cover e-waste held by households, private establishments, commercial centres and residents’ associations. The campaign will be implemented with the participation of local self-government institutions, the Suchitwa Mission, Haritha Karma Sena, civil society organisations, EY GDS and the Vishwasanthi Foundation.

Households and private establishments handing over discarded electronic items will receive compensation based on the prescribed rate card. The amount will be credited to their accounts through the Haritha Karma Sena, officials said.

Officials said the second phase would help bring e-waste generated outside government institutions into the formal collection system. Discarded electronic items can contain materials that pose risks to the environment if they are dumped or otherwise improperly disposed of.

The collected material will be segregated into around 50 categories to facilitate scientific processing and disposal. It will subsequently be handed over to the Clean Kerala Company.

The campaign is being implemented as part of the district administration’s effort to establish a comprehensive mechanism for collecting e-waste from different sections of society.