7/29/2019 E-Waste Management Rules

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E-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011: Brief Analysis

The E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 has come into effect May 1, 2012. The

rules were notified in May, 2011 and aim at reduction in the use of hazardous substances in

electrical and electronic equipment by specifying threshold for use of hazardous material

including lead, mercury and cadmium. These rules were notified in advance to give the various

stakeholders adequate time to prepare themselves and also to put in place the required

infrastructure.

They will apply to every producer, consumer or bulk consumer, collection centre, dismantler and

recycler of e-waste involved in the manufacture, sale, purchase and processing of electrical and

electronic equipment or components. The rules place the main responsibility of e-waste

management on the producers of the electrical and electronic equipment by introducing the

concept of extended producer responsibility (EPR).

However, they will not apply to lead acid batteries as covered under the Batteries (Management

and Handling) Rules, 2001, micro and small enterprises as defined in the Micro, Small and

Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 (27 of 2006) and radio-active wastes as covered

under the provisions of the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 (33 of 1962).

Sectors like information and telecommunications equipment and consumer electrical and

electronics falling within the specified categories will have to ensure that the products do not

contain lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, poly-brominated biphenyls or poly-

brominated di-phenyl ethers above a specified threshold.

EPR is the main feature of the rules, wherein the producer of electrical and electronic equipment

is given the responsibility of managing such equipment after its end of life; thus the producer is

responsible for their products once the consumer discards them. Under EPR, the producer is also

entrusted with the responsibility to finance and organise a system to meet the costs involved in

complying with EPR.

Disposal of e-waste is a critical issue the country is facing today, with rapid technological

advancement and growing obsolescence rate of electronics and electrical goods. The country is

saddled with huge toxic waste, estimated to be more than 8 million tonnes.

The question which would arise once the rules are brought into place is how effective are they

going to be and is the industry ready to roll out an effective e-waste management plan. Experts

feel that in the absence of any target or accountability check, the rules may not be able to change

much on the ground.