Lok Sabha Question No. 523 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-24
Subject: Recycling of E-waste
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Raksha Nikhil Khadse, E. T. Mohammed Basheer

## 523.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 523

TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.07.2023

## Recycling of e-waste

## SHRIMATI RAKSHA NIKHIL KHADSE: SHRI E.T. MOHAMMED BASHEER:

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

- (a)  whether the Government has made any assessment to identify e-waste generation every year in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  the details of e-waste produced during the last two years, State-wise;
- (c)  the details of the agencies authorized for their collection;
- (d)  whether the Government is aware that installation of Photovoltaic Solar Panel on large scale will lead to generation of enormous amount of waste in the country in future, if so, the details in this regard; and
- (e)   whether the Government has initiated any steps/propose to bring clear policy directives, well-established recycling strategies and infrastructure to handle such waste?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) to (c)    The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) estimates the e-waste generation at national level based on the countrywide sales data provided by producers, and average life of notified electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), as mandated under the E-waste Management Rules, 2016. As per the information available with CPCB, e-waste generated in the country from  twenty-one  (21)  types  of  EEE  notified  under  the  E-Waste  (Management) Rules, 2016 in the financial year (FY) 2020-21 and 2021-22 was estimated as 13,46,496.31 Tonnes and 16,01,155.36 tonnes respectively.

Under  the  E-Waste  (Management)  Rules,  2016  collection  of  e-waste  can  be  done  by authorised producers and dismantlers/ recyclers either individually or through their authorized service providers. As per the CPCB, there are 569 authorized dismantlers/recyclers and 2300 authorised producers of e-waste in the country.

(d) Ministry  has  comprehensively  revised  the previous  set  of  Rules and notified  the  EWaste (Management) Rules, 2022 in November, 2022 and the same is enforce since 1 st  April, 2023. These rules notified for environmentally sound management of e-waste generated from electrical and electronic equipment, including solar photo-voltaic (PV) modules or panels or cells. As per these rules, every manufacturer and producer of solar photo-voltaic modules or panels  or  cells  have  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 as per the guidelines laid down under the rules, file annual returns, comply with Standard Operating  Procedures.  Further,  Recycler  of  solar  photo-voltaic  modules  or  panels  or  cells shall be mandated for recovery of material as per guidelines laid down by the CPCB.

(e) E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 rules intend to manage e-waste in an environmentally sound manner and put in place an improved Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regime for e-waste recycling.  These rules promote Circular Economy through EPR  regime and scientific recycling/disposal of the e-waste. Further State Government or Union territories have been given responsibility for ensuring earmarking or allocation  of  industrial  space  or  shed  for  e-waste  dismantling  and  recycling  in  the  existing and  upcoming  industrial  park,  estate  and  industrial  clusters. Presently,  there  are  569 authorized dismantlers/ recyclers of e-waste in the country having annual processing capacity of 17,90,348.27 MT.

Ministry  of  Electronics  and  Information  Technology  (MeitY)  has  amended  the existing Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS) to provide support for setting up of state-of-art e-waste recycling facilities for extraction of precious metals from e-waste components. The scheme envisioned for financial incentive of 25% on capital expenditure.

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