Since 2011, India has enacted laws to manage e-waste, stipulating that only authorized disassemblers and recyclers can collect e-waste. The 2016 electronic waste management rules were promulgated on October 1, 2017. More than 21 products (Schedule I) are included in the scope of this rule.
The rule also extends its scope to electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) components or consumables or parts or spare parts, as well as their products. This rule strengthens the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which is a global best practice to ensure the recycling of end-of-life products.
A new arrangement called Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) was introduced to further strengthen EPR. Producers must meet the goal of 20% of the waste generated by their sales. This will increase by 10% annually for the next five years. The law also stipulates that the responsibility of the producer is not limited to waste collection, but also to ensure that the waste reaches plastic waste management companies in India.
Although new rules for the safe disposal of this hazardous material have been established, nearly 80% of e-waste-old laptops and mobile phones, cameras and air conditioners, TVs and LED lights-continue to be broken down, and a huge amount of informal sector The resulting health and environmental costs pollute groundwater and soil.
E-waste is growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 30% in the country. ASSOCHAM is one of the top trade associations in India. It is estimated that the amount of e-waste generated in 2016 will be 1.8 tons per year, and by 2020 it will reach 5.2 tons per year.
India now has 178 registered e-waste recyclers, approved by the state government to dispose of e-waste. But many e-waste recyclers in India do not recycle garbage at all. According to the United Environment Ministry report, although some people store it in hazardous conditions, others are not even capable of handling such waste.
Measures to raise awareness of e-waste management
Since 2015, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and industry associations have launched an e-waste awareness program under Digital India to raise public awareness of the hazards of e-waste recycling by unorganized sectors and educate them to deal with e-waste Alternative method.
The plan emphasizes the need to adopt environmentally friendly e-waste recycling practices. The plan adopts the best practices of e-waste recycling available globally so that the sector can create jobs and viable business prospects for locals.
MeitY has developed affordable technologies to recycle valuable materials and plastics in an environmentally friendly way, including two exclusive PCB recycling technologies, namely 1000 kg/day (~35 tons of electronic waste) and 100 kg/batch (~3.5 tons) E-waste) the process with acceptable environmental specifications.
The 1000 kg PCB/day continuous processing plant is suitable for creating an ecological park in the country, while the 100 kg PCB/batch processing plant is suitable for the informal sector. This can be achieved by upgrading and changing the status quo of the informal sector.
E-waste also contains plastic, which accounts for nearly 25% of its weight. New methods for recycling and converting electronic waste plastics into value-added products have also been successfully developed.
The developed process can convert most (76%) of waste plastics into suitable materials, which can be used in original plastic products. It is recommended to set up e-waste disposal companies in India to convert e-waste into reusable materials and then into ceramic and plastic filaments for 3D printing.
The high-grade metals in e-waste—such as gold, silver, copper, and palladium—can be separated and sold under completely safe conditions. She believes that there is no reason to burn plastics, and micro-factories can make plastic filaments by compressing waste in temperature-controlled areas.
A modular micro-factory that requires an area of 50 square meters can be built in any place where waste is stored. She said that if the operator's initial capital expenditure is funded, it will help strengthen the capacity of people who handle the waste.
The country has great potential for expanding e-waste recycling. There are some forward movements in this direction, but it is necessary to cover many areas through awareness-raising campaigns, skill development, human capital building, and technology introduction while taking appropriate security measures in the country’s informal sector.
Since India is extremely lacking in precious mineral resources (and untreated e-waste will be landfilled), it needs a well-designed, strong, and regulated e-waste recycling system to create jobs and wealth.
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