After plastic, the Centre on Wednesday announced new rules to revamp the management of over 17 lakh tonnes of e-waste (electronic waste) generated every year in the country.
After plastic, the Centre on Wednesday announced new rules to revamp the management of over 17 lakh tonnes of e-waste (electronic waste) generated every year in the country. The changes include putting the onus of collecting back the e-waste on the manufacturers by introducing schemes like deposit refund besides, roping in the state governments to ensure safety, health and skill development of rag-pickers and other workers involved in dismantling and recycling operations. CFLs and other mercurial discharging products have also been brought, for the first time, under the new guidelines.
Used electronic and electrical products, like television, washing machine, cellphones, microwaves, air-conditioners etc., comprise e-waste, whose generation is expected to rise five times per year.
Minister of state for environment Prakash Javadekar said: “The rules for e-waste management were not as strict so far as recyclers (kabadis) would emit toxics by burning the metallic microchips of products like mobile phones to extract some precious element before unscientifically disposing the remaining waste, which would further cause leaching into the water.”
“To combat this polluting e-waste disposal practice we, after getting suggestions 584 suggestions from various stakeholders, have introduced target based extended producers responsibility (EPR) as per which they (manufacturers) will have to collect 30 per cent of their products e-waste by 2018 and 70 per cent by 2023, failing which penalty would be imposed on them,” he added.
“We have also decided to ask the manufacturers to resort to deposit refund scheme so that the users give back their used products back to the companies.” “It will be the sole responsibility of the producers to set up the used product collection mechanism as well.”
Mr Javadekar added that new rules would rope-in refurbishers and dealers as well and a liability clause has been introduced for levying financial penalty for violation of the provisions of the new rules depending on the case.
“Refurbishers would have to collect waste generated during the process of channelisation of the waste to authorized dismantler or recycler through its collection centre,” the government said, adding, “Changes in the transportation policies have also been made as per which e-waste shall be carried out as per the manifest system whereby the transporter will be required to carry a document prepared by the sender to control illegal movement.”
“Taking into account the lack of any regulation for management of CFL and other mercury containing lamp, CFL has been brought into the ambit of these new rules,” the minister said.
