Lok Sabha Question No. 2361 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-04
Subject: False reporting of e-waste Recyclers
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Rakesh Rathor

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2361

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2025

## False reporting of e-waste Recyclers

## 2361.  SHRI RAKESH RATHOR:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware of large-scale Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud, fake invoices and unregistered vendors operating in e-waste recycling sector violating tax laws and environmental norms, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government is taking any concrete steps to bring these irregular operators into  the  formal  system,  develop  a  transparent  real-time  tracking  system,  better coordination between the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and GST authorities to prevent informal transportation and false reporting of e-waste , if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government is planning to ease compliance by amending the Extended Producer Responsibility Policy, if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the Government is considering training and integrating informal sector workers into the formal economy and setting up any institutional mechanism for resolving the disputes between producers and recyclers and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) to (c)  As per the information received from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), they  have  not  received  any  issue  related  to  large-scale  GST  fraud,  fake  invoices  and unregistered  vendors  operating  in  e-waste  recycling  sector  violating  tax  and  environmental norms.

Ministry has comprehensively revised the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 and notified the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 in November, 2022 and the same is in force since 1 st April,  2023.  These  new  rules  provide  for  managing  e-waste  in  an  environmentally  sound manner and putting in place an improved Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regime for e-waste recycling wherein all the manufacturer, producer, refurbisher and recycler are required to register on portal developed by the CPCB. The new provisions facilitate and channelize the informal  sector  to  formal  sector  for  doing  business  and  ensuring  recycling  of  e-waste  in environmentally sound manner. Provisions for environmental compensation and verification & audit have also been introduced. These rules also promote Circular Economy through EPR regime and scientific recycling/disposal of the e-waste. Further, CPCB has taken following steps for effective management of E-Waste Rules as under:

- (i) An online E-Waste EPR portal has been developed by CPCB wherein entities such as producers, manufacturers, recyclers and refurbishers of the e-waste are required to be registered.
- (ii) CPCB  has  developed  guidelines  for  the  scientific  and  environmentally  sound management of e-waste. The guidelines detail the procedures and facilities in terms of machineries  and  pollution  control  devices  required  for  the  recycling  of  e-waste  in environmentally sound manner.
- (iii) An action plan for implementation of E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 is in place and  the  same  is  being  implemented  by  all  the  State  Pollution  Control  Boards (SPCBs)/Pollution  Control Committees  (PCCs)  in  their  respective States/UTs. SPCBs/PCCs  are  submitting  quarterly  progress  report.  The  action  plan  makes  it incumbent upon  SPCBs/PCCs to carry  out  regular  drives for  checking  informal  ewaste activities and help them to formalise.
- (iv) The registered entities submit their compliance through Quarterly and Annual Returns on the E-waste Portal.
- (v) Environmental Compensation (EC) Guidelines under E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 have been developed for levying EC on any entity in case of violation of any of the provision of these rules and guidelines issued hereunder.
- (vi) CPCB issued following Directions to SPCBs/PCCs for effective implementation of the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022:
- a) Directions dated 06.09.2022 under Section 18 (1) (b) of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981  regarding  checking  informal  e-waste  activities,  verification  of  authorized dismantlers/recyclers of E-Waste and drives for mass awareness.
- b) Directions dated 30.01.2024 under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 regarding registration of producers, manufacturers, recyclers and refurbishers on the Online E-Waste EPR Portal.
- c) Directions dated 14.02.2024 under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986  for  ensuring  generation  of  EPR  Certificates  by  E-Waste  recyclers  towards fulfilment of Producers EPR obligations for the FY 2023-24.

(d) Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India is involved in developing cost effective technological solutions, skilling, capacity building etc. In order to formalization of informal sector by bringing them in materials supply chain with indigenous technological solution, MeitY has taken few initiatives which are as under:

-  MeitY  had  implemented  a  programme  on  Capacity  building  through  skill  and entrepreneurship  development  on  e-Waste  management  at  National  Institute  of Electronics  and  Information  Technology  (NIELIT)  Sikkim,  Panjab  University  (PU) Chandigarh and Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (CMET) Hyderabad. Standard course content  on e-waste  dismantling, segregation  has  been developed to provide training to the candidates of nearby states/UT i.e Haryana, Panjab, Chandigarh, Andhra-Pradesh, all North Eastern Region etc. The developed course curriculum has been recognized by National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF). More than 1500 candidates  have  been  trained  with  hands-on-training  under  the  project.  An  E-waste dismantling and segregation training centre also has been set up at NIELIT Gangtok, PU  Chandigarh  and  CMET  Hyderabad  for  continuous  program  in  these  states.  A learning management system also has been created for the beneficiaries. Handholding, capacity  building  and  entrepreneurship  development  by  providing  training  with Industry recognized skill-sets leading to better employability prospects are the main objective of this program.
-  To create a complete eco-system to upgrade informal sector into formal value chain a project on 'Informal Sector Capacity Building Upgradation with formation of recycling clusters under MSME scheme and Enabling Technology for Recovery of Resources from Electronic Waste thereby Promoting Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy' has been initiated by MeitY.

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