Rules for e-waste management

The volume of e-waste generated in the country has more than doubled from 7.08 lakh metric tonnes in the last five years, but the volume of recycled e-waste has remained quite low compared to the volume generated in 2017–18. The pace of building dismantling and recycling capacity must be maintained in tune with generation for the new set of rules for e-waste management that have come into force with effect from April 1 to produce the desired results. The alarming rise in the generation of electrical and electronic consumer goods in the country as well as in other countries can be attributed to multiple factors, with the short lifespan of these goods being the major factor among them. Technology upgrades render these electrical and electronic goods obsolete, compelling consumers to go for new products and discard the old ones. The rat race among Smartphone companies, for instance, to release new hardware to capture the highly competitive market through aggressive branding influences consumers’ buying decisions. While consumers have become smarter in their adoption of new technologies and their applications, their awareness level about e-waste generation through optimum utilisation of electronic goods until a product has reached the end of its useful life from the applicant’s perspective is quite poor. Bulk consumers like the government, public, and private sectors, which, according to the Centre for Science and Environment, account for 70% of e-waste generated in the country, can play a crucial role in extending the utilisation span of electrical and electronic equipment by adopting policies promoting responsible use of existing equipment and environment-friendly disposal of e-waste generated by them. Often, many electrical and electronic goods that have reached the end of their useful life from the vendor’s perspective remain useful for buyers even though these products may not be marketed or supported by the vendors concerned. Extending the utilisation period through smart use of products in the true sense can significantly reduce e-waste generation. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) estimates e-waste generated in the country from 21 types of EEE notified under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016, has increased from 7.08 lakh metric tonnes in 2017-18 to 16.01 lakh metric tonnes in 2021–22. Apart from the growing popularity of social networking sites for commercial and personal use, rising consumption of media content via the internet, and exponential growth in the digital payment ecosystem, this has also driven the faster growth of the smartphone market in the country. The new set of rules enforced by the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change provides for putting in place an improved Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regime for e-waste recycling, wherein all manufacturers, producers, refurbishers, and recyclers are required to register on the portal developed by CPCB. The new provisions are targeted to facilitate and channelize the informal sector to the formal sector for doing business, ensure recycling of e-waste, and promote the circular economy through the EPR regime and scientific recycling and disposal of e-waste. No official estimates are available on e-waste handled by the informal sector, but the CPCB estimates that 5.27 lakh metric tonnes of e-waste were collected during 2021–22. This implies that more than one million metric tonnes of e-waste find their way into the informal sector, which speaks volumes about the current e-waste management situation in the country. The CPCB issues advisories to the State Pollution Control Board to carry out regular drives for checking e-waste processing in the informal sector so that the retrieval of components of material from discarded electrical or electronic equipment in an unscientific manner does not cause health hazards or damage the environment. Maharashtra, which generates the maximum volume of e-waste, has 140 of the 569 authorised dismantlers and recyclers in the country. Assam has only one authorised dismantler/recycler and dismantled/recycled only 67 metric tonnes in 2021–22, against industry estimates of more than 14,000 metric tonnes of e-waste generation every year. This call for initiating urgent measures for the state to increase the capacity of authorised dismantling and recycling of e-waste to prevent unscientific collection and dismantling of e-waste causing severe damage to its fragile ecology Awareness among consumers can be effective in preventing them from discarding electrical and electronic equipment irresponsibly. Such goods, if stored at home or office and not given for dismantling, are not considered e-waste. Until the state builds its capacity for scientific dismantling and recycling to cater to a significant percentage of e-waste generated in the state, consumers can be motivated to store the products they have stopped using at some secured place at home or in a public institution. The new rules define ‘bulk consumer’ as an entity that has used a minimum of one thousand units of electrical and electronic equipment listed in Schedule I at any time in the particular financial year, including e-retailers. Bulk consumers of electrical and electronic equipment listed in Schedule I shall ensure that e-waste generated by them is handed over only to the registered producer, refurbisher, or recycler. Individual consumers also must play a crucial role, as they account for nearly 5 lakh metric tonnes of e-waste. Innovation in smart recycling solutions can be the game changer.