Lok Sabha Question No. 3916 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-19
Subject: Recycling of E-Waste
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Mitesh Rameshbhai (Bakabhai) Patel, Shardaben Anilbhai Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3916

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.03.2021

## Recycling of E-Waste

## 3916.   SHRI MITESH RAMESHBHAI PATEL(BAKABHAI): SHRIMATI SHARDABEN ANIL BHAI PATEL:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether most of the recycling work of e-waste in the country is carried out in nonformal sector;
- (b)   if so, the details thereof;
- (c)   whether the Government has taken steps in thedirection of finding out solution to the problems relatedto e-waste and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  made  investment  to  develop  such  undetrimental production design and if so,the details thereof; and
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to ensure thesafety of workers engaged in e-waste recycling?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

- (a) & (b) Government is  alive  to  the  fact  that  the  recycling  of  E-Waste  is  carried  out  in informal sector, which is illegal and a criminal offence. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has time to time advised State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) /Pollution Control Committees (PCCs)  to  carry  out  regular  drives  for  checking  E-Waste  processing  in  informal  sector  and reports  are  obtained  quarterly.  Actions,  such  as,  constitution  of  teams  for  carrying  out  drives, issuing of notices, closure of operation, seizing the E-Waste against the informal processing are being taken by the SPCBs/PCCs.

Seventeen SPCBs/ PCCs have started the drive during FY 2020-2021 (till second quarter).Twelve (12) SPCBs/PCCs  namely,  Andhra  Pradesh, Chandigarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal  Pradesh,  Manipur,  Meghalaya,  Odisha,  Tamil  Nadu,  Telangana,  Tripura  and  West Bengal have reported that they  have started the  drive against  informal recycling and  reported that  during  this  period  no  such  activity  was  found  in  their  States/UTs.  Five  (5)  SPCBs/PCCs namely,  Jammu  &  Kashmir,  Kerala,  Delhi,  Puducherry  and  Uttar  Pradesh  have  taken  action against the informal recycling. Details of actions are given at Annexure - I :

- (c) The  management  of  e-waste  is regulated under the  frame  work  of  E-Waste (Management)  Rules,  2016  and  amendments  there  off.  The  said  rules  are  effective  from 01.10.2016 and have the following specific objectives:
- (i) Extended Responsibility to producers to manage a system of E-waste collection, storage,  transportation  and  environmentally  sound  dismantling  and  recycling through EPR Authorization (EPRA).
- (ii) To  promote  and  encourage  establishment  of  an  efficient  e-waste  collection mechanism.
- (iii) To  promote  Environmentally  Safe &  Sound  Recycling  through  authorized dismantlers and recyclers of e-waste.
- (iv) To minimize illegal recycling / recovery operations.
- (v) Reduce Hazardous substances in Electrical and Electronic components.

Under  the  Extended  Producer  Responsibility (EPR),  the  producers of Electrical  and Electronic Equipments (EEE) listed in the Schedule-I of rules have been given responsibility of  management  of  their  products  once  they  have  attained  end  of  life.  As  per  the  E-Waste (Management)  Rules,  2016,  CPCB  is  issuing  EPR  authorization  to  the  producers  of  EEE along  with  e-waste  collection  targets  on  annual  basis.  Asper  the  information  provided  by CPCB, as on date, 1704 Producers have been granted EPR Authorization. Registration to 48 Producers Responsibility Organizations (PROs) have been granted so far. 407 dismantlers/recyclers of E-Waste have authorization and their annual processing capacity is 11,10,103.22 tonne.

For enforcement of the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 in the country, an action plan is in  place  and  the  same  is  being  implemented  by  all  SPCBs/PCCs  in  their  respective states/UTs. SPCBs/PCCs are submitting quarterly progress report as envisaged in the Action Plan through a web portal developed for this purpose.

- (d) With a view to reduce the use of hazardous substances in the manufacture of Electrical and  Electronic  Equipment  and  in  their  components  or  consumables  or  parts  or  spares following limitshave been prescribed:
- i. Lead (Pb)
- ii. Mercury (Hg)
- iii. Cadmium (Cd)
- iv. Hexavalent chromium (Cr 6+ )
- v. Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)
- 0.1% by weight in homogeneous material
- 0.1% by weight in homogeneous material
- 0.01% by weight in homogeneous material
- 0.1% by weight in homogeneous material
- 0.1% by weight in homogeneous material
- vi. Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE)- 0.1% by weight in homogeneous material
- (c) The E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 sub rule 12(2) provides for recognition and registration  of  workers  and  their  skill  development.  It  also  provides  for  monitoring  and ensuring safety and health of workers involved in dismantling and recycling of e-waste.

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|   S.No. | SPCBs/PCCs      | Action taken                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
|---------|-----------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|       1 | Jammu & Kashmir | Notices have been issued to 22 scrap dealers for checking informal trading, storage, dismantling &recycling of E-Waste.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|       2 | Kerala          | Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has seized 207.5 tonnes of E-Waste from informal operators/sector during drive against illegal operators and got it recycled through authorized recycler.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
|       3 | Delhi           | Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has reported for the quarter ending 30 th September 2020 that for Trans Yamuna area the District Administration under respective Sub-Divisional Magistrates has constituted 9 teams as these areas have large concentration of illegal E-Waste handling units. These teams have inspected 130 premises and found that 31 premises are storing/handling E-Waste and had closed these 31 units and imposed Environmental Compensation (EC) charges. 14 units have deposited the requisite EC and undertook not to carry out illegal activities. For checking informal trading of E-Waste, directions u/s 5 of Environment (Protection) Act 1986 have been issued on 28.05.2019 to all the local bodies/ Delhi Development Authority regarding stoppage of illegal activity of informal trading, dismantling and recycling of E-Waste in their respective areas of jurisdiction. Till 28/09/2020, 124 informal units have been identified and the closures will be carried out only after inventorisation. |
|       4 | Puducherry      | Puducherry PCC, reported that it has closed one illegal dismantling and recycling unit.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|       5 | UP              | UP State Pollution Control Board (UPSPCB) reported that one hundred and twenty (120) illegal melting furnace units were found operating in the area around Sewadham, BehtaHazipur, Krishna Vihar of Loni District of Ghaziabad by a joint team of District Administration Ghaziabad, Ghaziabad Development Authority, Ghaziabad Police, Nagar Palika Parishad, Loni &UPSPCB during November, 2019. All these one hundred and twenty (120) illegal units were dismantled and FIR was lodged against 16 persons and 12 units. UPSPCB further informed that in the Moradabad district, 6.850 tonnes of E- Waste were seized and District Administration sealed 05 illegal godowns. Environmental Compensation of 60 Lakhs has been imposed and closure orders have been issued against 04 illegal E-Waste Processing Units.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |