Management of E-waste in India

Management of E-waste in India

News: The Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) released a report on ‘Pathways to Circular Economy in Indian Electronics Sector’ in collaboration with NITI Aayog, aiming to explore opportunities for managing electronic waste (e-waste) more effectively.

What is E-waste?
• E-waste refers to all items of electronic and electrical equipment (EEE) and its parts that have been discarded by their owner as waste without the intent of re-use.

Current status of E-waste in India:
• India is the third-largest e-waste generator in the world after China and the USA (Global E-waste Monitor 2020).
• E-waste management in India is primarily informal, with approximately 90% of e-waste collection and 70% of recycling handled by a competitive informal sector.
• The Union Government introduced the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022, to digitize and provide visibility into e-waste movement. However, the informal sector remains a dominant force in e-waste management.

What are provisions of E-Waste(Management) Rules, 2022?
• Restricted the use of hazardous substances (such as lead, mercury, and cadmium) in manufacturing electrical and electronic equipment.
• It has increased the range of electronic goods covered e.g., laptops, mobile, cameras etc.
• Producers of electronic goods have to ensure at least 60% of their electronic waste is collected and recycled by 2023 with targets to increase them to 70% and 80% in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
• Extended Producer Responsibility Certificates (similar to carbon credit mechanism): It will allow the offsetting of e-waste responsibility to a third party.
• Manufacturers must ensure that end product is recyclable.
• The Central Pollution Control Board shall conduct random sampling of electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market to monitor and verify the compliance of reduction of hazardous substances provisions.

What are key recommendations of report?
• The ICEA report suggests public-private partnerships to establish a comprehensive “reverse supply chain.” This chain would involve collecting devices, wiping personal data, and further processing and recycling.
• Creating an auditable database of materials collected through this process and forming geographical clusters for device disassembly are proposed.
• Incentivizing high-yield recycling centers is recommended to extract maximum value from electronic products.
• Encouraging repair and extending product lifespans, possibly through support for a right-to-repair by users, can reduce the environmental impact of e-waste.

What are challenges in E-waste management?
• E-waste management in India is dominated by the informal sector, with estimates of more than 90% of the waste being processed in this sector. Unscientific practices in the processing of e-waste are associated with several environmental and health externalities
• An estimated 200 million devices remain unused in consumers’ homes, as people are concerned about their personal data when recycling devices.
• There is a shortage of facilities that can properly recycle e-waste, leading to improper disposal methods plus establishing recycling facilities is capital intensive.
• There is a lack of trained personnel who understand the proper procedures for handling and disposing of ewaste.
• Many people are unaware of the dangers of improper disposal methods and do not understand the need to segregate waste items.