With the increasing urgency around global warming, climate consciousness amongst governments and corporates around the globe is rising, and rightly so. A key area of concern that is emerging with increasing digitization is around e-waste management and the related hazards. E-waste, which 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, is not biodegradable, can be toxic, and can accumulate not just in soil, air and water, but in living things too. Open burning of e-waste or acid baths to recover valuable minerals from e-waste can lead to the release of high levels of contaminants such as lead, mercury, beryllium, thallium, cadmium and arsenic, which can have irreparable health effects, including cancers, miscarriages, neurological damage and damage to the brain, heart, liver, kidneys and skeletal system.
E-waste a rising concern...
E-waste is one of the largest, most complex and the fastest growing waste streams in the world. Only about 20 percent of the world's e-waste is being collected and recycled today, and a whopping 80 per cent is illegally traded or dumped. India is the third-largest e-waste producer in the world after China and the US. The subject has got due attention from the Government as it notified the E-waste (Management) Rules 2022, which are to be effective from April 1 this year, and will launch a new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regime for e-waste recycling.
What the new E-Waste Rules entail...
The new rules apply to every manufacturer, producer, refurbisher, dismantler and recycler of electronic waste, all of who are required to register on the portal developed by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), and not deal with any unregistered manufacturer, producer,
recycler and refurbisher. The rules do away with Producer Responsibility Organizations and dismantlers for outsourcing of e-waste recycling and instead vest this responsibility with authorized recyclers. These authorized recyclers will collect waste, recycle it, and generate electronic EPR certificates, which can be purchased by companies to meet their e-waste recycling targets.
The targets...
The producers on the other hand have been given a target to ensure that 60 percent of their electronic waste (based on end products) is collected and recycled by FY 2024, with the target increasing to 70 percent and 80 percent by FY 2026 and FY 2028 respectively. Producers who have started sales operations recently get a reprieve with reduced EPR targets linked to their sales figures. The range of EEE has been expanded to106 EEE and includes management of solar photo-voltaic modules, panels and cells. Every producer of EEE and their components is required to ensure that hazardous substances in their products, such as lead and mercury, do not exceed the maximum prescribed concentration.
Carbon-credit like EPR certificates...
The EPR certificates will be issued by CPCB on the portal in favor of the authorized recyclers and shall be subject to environmental audit by CPCB or its authorized agencies. The quantity of e-waste eligible for generation of the EPR certificates shall be based on a conversion factor (quantity of inputs required for production of one unit of output) which shall be determined by CPCB. Refurbishment of e-waste would help defer EPR and the same has been incentivized as only 75 percent of the refurbished quantity shall be added to EPR. Shortfall in meeting the targets shall attract the levy of an Environmental Compensation as laid down by CPCB guidelines while the EPR targets will continue to accumulate. A Steering Committee under the chairmanship of CPBP shall be constituted to oversee the overall implementation of these rules.
The road ahead...
The new E-Waste (Management) rules 2022 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change are a welcome policy initiative, and the digitized portal would promote transparency and reduced paper trading. However, there remain concerns around lack of a robust e-waste collection chain, and the limited capacity for large-scale management of e-waste. Given that 95 percent of e-waste in India is handled by the informal sector, the industry needs to explore ways in which this sector can be brought to the mainstream and afforded recognition under the guidelines laid out for authorized recyclers.
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