Lok Sabha Question No. 1878 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-19
Subject: E-waste Management
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shivkumar Chanabasappa Udasi, N.K. Premachandran, Nalin Kumar Kateel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1878

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.12.2022

## E-waste Management

## 1878.  SHRI SHIVAKUMAR C. UDASI: SHRI N.K. PREMACHANDRAN: SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL:

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

- (a) whether it is a fact that India ranks third in terms of e-waste generation and if so, the details in this regard and  the steps taken  by the  Government  for  effective implementation of the E-waste (Management) Rules, 2016;
- (b) the  estimated  generation  of  e-waste  in  the  country  during  the  last  three  years  and current  year,  year-wise  and  type-wise  including  the  estimate  for  generation  of  ewaste in future, if any;
- (c) the impact of management  of  e-waste  by informal sector and whether  the Government has formulated any action plan for safe disposal of e-waste;
- (d) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  initiate  a  project  for  effective  disposal  of  ewaste in the country, especially in Kerala;
- (e) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  create  awareness  among  the  household  and institutional  consumers  regarding  the  Electrical  and  Electronic  Equipment  (EEE) towards the e-waste level related aspects and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether the Government proposes to fix the liability to the manufacturers and bulk users of the electronic equipments for the scientific disposal of the e-waste and if so, the details of action taken thereon?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) Central  Pollution  Control  Board  (CPCB)  has  informed  that  as  per  the  United  Nations University Report 'The Global E-Waste Monitor Report 2020, e-waste generation in India in 2019 is mentioned as 3.230 Million Tonne which is third highest. Following steps have been taken by the government for the effective implementation of E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016:

- (i) For implementation of E-Waste  (Management)  Rules,  2016  nine (9) specific guidelines have been prepared and made available on the web site of CPCB.
- (ii) Guidelines for Producer Responsibility Organizations (PRO) have been prepared and made available on the web site of CPCB.
- (iii) The  guidelines  for  environmental  compensation  charges  (ECC)  under e-waste  rules have been prepared in December 2020.
- (iv) An online  E-Waste  Management  system  has  been  developed  and  is  operational  for registration of the stakeholders involved in management of e-waste. CPCB is granting EPR authorization and PRO registration through this portal.
- (v) An Action Plan is in place for enforcement of the e-waste rules in the country, and is being  implemented  through  State  Pollution  Control  Boards  (SPCBs)/  Pollution Control Committees (PCCs). SPCBs/PCCs are submitting quarterly progress report as envisaged in the Action Plan through a web portal developed for this purpose.
- (vi) CPCB  has  issued  directions/  notices  as  and  when  required  from  time  to  time  for effective implementation of the rules. CPCB also issued directions under Section 18 (1)  (b)  of  the  Water  (Prevention  and  Control  of  Pollution)  Act  1974,  and  Air (Prevention  and  Control  of  Pollution)  Act  1981  for  checking  informal  e-waste activities,  verification  of  authorized  dismantlers/recyclers of E-Waste and drives for mass awareness
- (vii) There are 530 dismantlers/recyclers of e-waste covering 22 states /UTs in the country and having annual processing capacity of 14,89,670.56 tonne.

(b) The generation of e-waste is being estimated based on the sales data and average life of notified electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). The e-waste generated in the country from twenty-one (21) types of EEE notified under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 are broadly classified into two categories namely 'information technology and telecommunication equipment' and 'consumer electrical and electronics equipment' and have been  given  item  codes  ITEW1  to  ITEW  16  and  CEEW1  to  CEEW5.  The  information available is for last three years is given below:

|                | Estimated Generation                                                     | Estimated Generation                                           | Estimated Generation   |
|----------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------|
| Financial Year | Information technology and telecommunication equipment (ITEW1 to ITEW16) | Consumer electrical and electronics equipment (CEEW1 to CEEW5) | Total (Tons)           |
| 2018-19        | 1,13,114.10                                                              | 6,58,100.90                                                    | 7,71,215.00            |
| 2019-20        | 1,86,702.61                                                              | 8,28,258.60                                                    | 10,14,961.21           |
| 2020-21        | 1,47,295.58                                                              | 11,99,200.73                                                   | 13,46,496.31           |

(c) Informal  sector  involved  in  processing  of  e-waste  adopts  crude  and  unscientific methods for extracting valuable material from the e-waste. If un-scientific and crude methods are  used  for  processing  for  retrieval  of  useful  components  or  material  or  if  the  material  is disposed in open, then it may cause health risks and damage to environment. Under the EWaste (Management) Rules, 2016, collection and processing of e-waste can be carried out only by producers or their authorised associates/ partners, authorised dismantlers, recyclers and authorised refurbisher.

(d) The management of e-waste in the entire country including Kerala is being regulated under the framework of E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016.These Rules are effective from 01-10-2016 and have the following specific objectives:

-  Extended  responsibility  to  producers  to  manage  a  system  of  E-Waste  collection, storage, transportation and environmentally sound dismantling and recycling through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Authorization.
-  Promote and encourage establishment of an efficient E-Waste collection mechanism.
-  Promote  Environmentally  Safe  &  Sound  Recycling  through  authorized  dismantlers and recyclers of E-Waste.
-  Minimize illegal recycling / recovery operations.
-  Reduce Hazardous substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment.

Further, Ministry has notified the E-Waste (Management)  Rules, 2022 on 2nd November, 2022. These rules will replace E-waste (Management) Rules, 2016 and will be effective  from  1st  April,  2023.    These  rules  will  launch  a  new  EPR  regime  for  e-waste recycling. All the manufacturer, producer, refurbisher and recycler are required to register on portal  developed  by  CPCB  by  giving  details  of  manufacturing  data,  sales  data,  waste generation, agreements with service providers, RoHS  compliance,  waste  refurbished/ recycled etc. No entity shall carry out any business without registration and also not deal with any unregistered entity.

- (e) An action plan is in place for enforcement of e-waste rules across the country. This action plan contains component on mass awareness of general public through Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Plan to be framed by State Governments. SPCBs are regularly  carrying  out  mass  awareness  programs  for  general  public  for  the  management  of their  e-waste  in  a  proper  and  scientific  manner.  Also,  in  the  e-waste  rules,  the  EPR Authorized  Producers  have  been  assigned  responsibilities  for  creating  awareness  through media, publications, advertisements, posters, or by any other means of communication.
- (f) The responsibilities/liabilities of manufacturer as well as bulk consumers of EEE have been clearly defined in the of E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016. As per the rule, following responsibilities have been assigned to manufacturers, producers and bulk consumers:
- (i) Manufacturers: Responsible to collect e-waste generated during the manufacture of any  electrical  and  electronic  equipment  and  channelize  it  for  recycling  or  disposal through  authorized  dismantlers/recyclers  used  scientific  methods  for  disposal  of  ewaste. The manufacturer will alsoensure that no damage is caused to the environment during storage and transportation of e-waste;
- (ii) Producers: R esponsible forimplementing the EPR where they have been assigned the responsibility for collection and channelization of e-waste generated from the 'end-oflife'  of  their  products  or  'end-of-life'  products.  Producers  are  required  to  create awareness  through  media,  publications,  advertisements,  posters,  or  by  any  other means of communication etc.The producers are also required to maintain records of the e-waste handled and have to file annual returns
- (iii) Bulk Consumer: Responsibleto ensure that e-waste generated by them is channelized through collection centre or dealer of authorised producer or dismantler or recycler or through  the  designated  take  back  service  provider  of  the  producer  to  authorised dismantler or recycler;

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