E - Waste Rules, 2011

The production of newer electronic equipment and the quick advancement of technology make it simple to replace outdated models with more modern ones. Particularly in India, it has caused e-waste to grow exponentially. People have a tendency to migrate to the newest models and popular technologies, and with time, product life spans get shorter. But e-waste management in India and its difficulties remain a problem.

What is E-waste?

E-waste poses a serious threat to the environment, wildlife, and people. Plastics, metals, cathode ray tubes (CRTs), printed wires, circuit boards, and other materials are frequently found in e-waste. Once the e-waste is scientifically handled, valuable metals including copper, silver, gold, and platinum can be recycled.

It is extremely dangerous if e-waste is disassembled and processed in an imprecise manner using rudimentary techniques because it contains toxic materials like liquid crystal, lithium, mercury, nickel, selenium, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), arsenic, barium, brominated flame retardants, cadmium, chrome, cobalt, copper, and lead.

Applicability of E-waste Rules

These are −

• These regulations shall be applicable to every producer, consumer or bulk consumer, collection center, dismantler, and recycler of e-waste involved in the production, sale, purchase, and processing of electrical and electronic equipment or components as specified in schedule I. The relevant regulatory bodies are SPCBs, PCCs, and CPCBs.

• All electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) that is put on the market in India and is mentioned in Schedule 1 (annexure-IV) is subject to the e-waste Rules, as are any components or consumables that are still attached to the device at the time of disposal.

• In accordance with the regulations, less hazardous materials must be used in electrical and electronic equipment. Each manufacturer of equipment listed in Schedule 1 of the Rule is required to ensure that the covered items do not contain more than a certain amount of lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, or polybrominated di-phenyl ethers.

• An intergovernmental committee made up of technical experts and business leaders would be consulted in the event that there was any uncertainty regarding the applicability of these guidelines.

Major Stakeholders under E-waste

It includes −

Producer	Any individual who "manufactures and offers to sell electrical and electronic equipment under his own brand; offers to sell electrical and electronic equipment under his own brand, assembled electrical and electronic equipment produced by other manufacturers or suppliers; or offers to sell imported electrical and electronic equipment" is considered a producer, regardless of the method of selling used, and is required to obtain authorization under these Rules for the implementation of EPR.
Bulk Consumers	The term "Bulk Consumers" refers to entities that use electrical and electronic equipment in large quantities. These entities must be registered under the Factories Act of 1948 and the Companies Act of 1956. Bulk Consumers include central government or state government departments, public sector undertakings, banks, educational institutions, multinational corporations, international agencies, and private companies.
Extended Producer Responsibility	Any manufacturer of electrical or electronic equipment has an obligation to take care of their products from the time they are manufactured until they are disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner.
Collection Centre	A collection center is a location set up individually or jointly, or a registered society, a designated agency, a firm, or an association, which must get license in accordance with the 2011 E-Waste Rules.
Dismantler	According to the 2011 E-Waste Rules, a dismantler is any individual, registered society, designated agency, business, or association that breaks down obsolete electrical and electronic equipment into its component parts. The alliance could also consist of a consortium.
Recycler	Any anyone involved in the recycling or reprocessing of used electrical and electronic parts, assemblies, or equipment is referred to as a recycler. A recycling facility may be established by a person, a business, a joint venture, or a consortium.
SPCBs/PCCs	They have been tasked with the duty of acting as regulatory bodies to see that the E-waste Rules are implemented in their respective States.
CPCB	The CPCB is in charge of updating the implementation guidelines, monitoring the Rules' implementation status, and assuring RoHS compliance.

Objective of E-waste Rules

After consulting with various stakeholders, MoEF/CPCB determined that it was necessary to create a document that would serve as guidance for the producers, consumers, bulk consumers, collection centers, dismantlers, recyclers, and others in implementing the provisions of the E-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011.

Regulatory organizations (SPCBs and PCCs) to ensure effective adherence to and application of these regulations. Additionally, this document offers instructions on how to set up recycling, disassembly, and collection mechanisms. Since the E-waste Rules introduced the idea of "extended producer responsibility," producers of electrical and electronic equipment have been given primary responsibility for managing e-waste (EPR). These rules also cover the range of adoptions of such EPRs.

Conclusion

The government is responsible for making sure the regulations are followed, for monitoring their compliance, and, perhaps most crucially, for advising the general public of where to dispose of their e-waste. Based on the rules, some responsible agencies are also deployed to ensure that the rules are being followed.

FAQs

Q1. Who started waste management in India?

Ans. The Waste Management and Handling Rules in India were introduced by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).

Q2. Who is India's first e-waste recycler?

Ans. E-Parisaraa Pvt. Ltd, India's first Government authorized electronic waste recycler started operations from September 2005,is engaged in handling, recycling and reusing of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) in eco friendly way.

Q3. What are the rules of e-waste?

Ans. The maximum time allowed for storage of e-waste is 180 days. The State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) has the power to extend the time up to 365 days. The extension will be made in case the e-waste needs to be processed before it is forwarded to the dismantler or recycler.