Lok Sabha Question No. 2451 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-04
Subject: Waste Management of Clean Energy Equipment
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Daggumalla Prasada Rao

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2451

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2025

## Waste Management of Clean Energy Equipment

## 2451.  SHRI DAGGUMALLA PRASADA RAO:

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

- (a) whether the Government has formulated any guidelines, policies or Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for disposal and recycling of waste generated from clean energy infrastructure such as wind turbines, solar photovoltaic panels and batteries;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor and whether the Government proposes to bring out such guidelines in the near future;
- (c) whether the Government has collected data of waste currently being generated from ageing  or  decommissioned  renewable  energy  equipment  and  an  estimate  for  waste expected to be generated over the next decade, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has engaged with States, industry stakeholders and recycling sector  experts  to  draft  comprehensive  waste  management  norms  for  clean  energy machinery; and
- (e) the details regarding recycling and disposal centres and mechanisms developed by the Government to handle waste from clean energy infrastructure, State-wise?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c)   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 including solar photovoltaic (PV) modules or panels or cells 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 Central Pollution Control Board (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.

As  per  these  rules,  every  manufacturer  and  producer  of  solar  photo-voltaic  modules  or panels  or  cells  has  been  mandated  to  obtain  registration,  maintain  inventory  of  solar  PV modules, store the waste generated from Solar PV modules/panels/cells up to the year 203435, file annual  returns,  comply  with  Standard Operating  Procedures, and process the waste other than solar PV modules as per the applicable rules or guidelines. Further, Recyclers of solar photo-voltaic modules or panels or cells have been mandated for recovery of material as laid down by the CPCB.

Following steps have been taken 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 has been prepared  by  CPCB  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.
- (iv) The registered entities submit their compliance through Quarterly and Annual Returns on the E-waste Portal.
- (v) The rules have provided verification and audit of the registered entities by the CPCB or through a designated agency to verify compliance of these rules through random inspection  and  periodic  audit,  as  deemed  appropriate,  so  as  to  take  action  against violations of these rules.
- (vi) 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.

(d)  &  (e)  Ministry  after  consultations  with  concerned  Central  Ministries/  Department/ Agencies, electronic/electrical manufacturing associations and recyclers associations prepared and  published  draft  notification  on  'E-Waste  (Management)  Rules,  2022'  in  May,  2022. Considering  comments/suggestion  received,  final  notification  on  'E-Waste  (Management) Rules, 2022 was notified on 2 nd  November, 2022 and the same is in force since 1 st  April, 2023. State wise list of registered recyclers are at Annexure.

Annexure State wise list of registered recyclers as on 20.07.2025

| S. No.   | State/UTs        |   No. of Registered Recycler | E-Waste   |
|----------|------------------|------------------------------|-----------|
| 1.       | ANDHRA PRADESH   |                            3 |           |
| 2.       | ASSAM            |                            1 |           |
| 3.       | BIHAR            |                            1 |           |
| 4.       | CHHATTISGARH     |                            1 |           |
| 5.       | GUJARAT          |                           32 |           |
| 6.       | HARYANA          |                           39 |           |
| 7.       | HIMACHAL PRADESH |                            4 |           |
| 8.       | JHARKHAND        |                            2 |           |
| 9.       | KARNATAKA        |                           49 |           |
| 10.      | KERALA           |                            2 |           |
| 11.      | MADHYA PRADESH   |                            9 |           |
| 12.      | MAHARASHTRA      |                           62 |           |
| 13.      | PUNJAB           |                            8 |           |
| 14.      | RAJASTHAN        |                           13 |           |
| 15.      | TAMIL NADU       |                           14 |           |
| 16.      | TELANGANA        |                           17 |           |
| 17.      | UTTAR PRADESH    |                          105 |           |
| 18.      | UTTARAKHAND      |                            4 |           |
| 19.      | WEST BENGAL      |                            9 |           |
|          | Grand Total      |                          375 |           |