Management of e-Waste

Management of e-Waste

“The country’s economic growth, rise in per capita income, technological innovations coupled with high obsolescence rate of electronic and electrical equipments etc. are leading to increase in the rate of generation of e-waste in the country. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 2005 estimated 1.47 lakh ton of e-waste generated in the country and simultaneously had projected likely generation of 8.0 lakh ton of e-waste in the year 2010. As per the United Nations University report, “The Global E-Waste Monitor 2014”, 17 lakh ton of e-waste were generated in the country in 2014. However, no comprehensive inventorization of e-waste generation in the country has been done.

The Government has not issued any specific directions to power firms to dispose off the e-waste. However, E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 were notified in March, 2016 for providing environmentally sound systems for disposal of e-waste. The provisions of these Rules include dedicated extended producers’ responsibility (EPR), setting up of producer responsibility organizations and e-waste exchanges to facilitate collection and recycling, assigning specific responsibility to bulk consumers of electronic products for safe disposal, providing for economic incentives for collection of electronic waste, and other measures which include responsibility of producers of electronic and electrical products for collection and channelizing of electronic waste. The power firms are the bulk consumers of the electrical and electronic equipments. As per the provisions of the E-Waste management Rules, 2016 such companies are required to maintain records and file annual report to the concerned State Pollution Control Boards”.