Page 64 - CIJ April 2025- Digital Edition

MAKING A POINT

E-Waste Regulations for Disposal

India’s Journey Toward Responsible

Recycling

ndia stands as the third-largest The Legal Backbone known to cause severe health and
generator of electronic waste environmental damage. The 2011
globally, producing nearly two The first significant step came rules also required commercial and
million tons of e-waste annually. with the E-Waste (Management and government entities to maintain
IWith additional unrecorded Handling) Rules, 2011, which took records of e-waste and provide them
imports of obsolete electronics effect in May 2012. Under these to pollution control authorities.
from other countries, the problem rules, manufacturers and importers
is more widespread than statistics of electronic goods were mandated 2016:
suggest. This mounting crisis to manage the end-of-life disposal Sharpening the Focus
of their products. Responsibilities
has necessitated a robust legal included establishing collection
In 2016, the rules were revised
framework for the safe management centres or take-back systems and and renamed as the E-Waste
and disposal of electronic waste. ensuring that consumers were (Management) Rules. These not
At the heart of this effort is the informed on proper disposal only clarified stakeholder duties
Ministry of Environment, Forests methods to avoid mixing e-waste but introduced a critical concept of
and Climate Change (MoEFCC), with domestic garbage. Extended Producer Responsibility
supported by the Central and State Further, producers had to (EPR). Producers were now
Pollution Control Boards, which disclose the presence of hazardous required to ensure their e-waste
draft and implement procedures substances in their products, like lead, reached authorised dismantlers
aligned with national regulations. mercury, and cadmium — materials or recyclers. Each stakeholder in

64 APRIL 2025•Clean India Journal•www.cleanindiajournal.com