Lok Sabha Question No. 1698 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-31
Subject: Performance of Recyclers and Refurbisher
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Ritesh Pandey, Subhash Chandra Baheria

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1698

TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.07.2023

## Performance of Recyclers and Refurbishers

## 1698.   SHRI RITESH PANDEY: SHRI SUBHASH CHANDRA BAHERIA:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  monitors  and  evaluates  the  performance  of  recyclers  and refurbishers at regular intervals;
- (b) if so, the details of the measures being taken to ensure that the recycling process meets the highest  standards  of  environmental  protection  including  safe  handling  and  disposal  of hazardous substances and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government has details of utilization of environmental compensation funds for management of battery waste;
- (d) if so, the details of the environmental compensation received in the Financial Year 202223, State/UTs-wise and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (e) whether the Government has any scheme to motivate and promote the Recycling and Reuse industry and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether the Government has set any responsibility on the industries to recycle the residue components of their products and if so, the details thereof, if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) & (b): Rules mandate recyclers and refurbishers to register with concerned State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution Control Committees. Recyclers and refurbishers have been mandated to  ensure  that  the  recycling/refurbishment is  carried  out  in  accordance  with  the  guidelines. Recyclers/refurbishers have also been mandated to ensure that hazardous waste generated from their  activities  is  managed  as  per  the  provisions  under  Hazardous  and  Other  Wastes (Management and  Transboundary  Movement) Rules,  2016.  Recyclers  and  refurbishers  file quarterly and/or annual returns regarding the information on recycled/refurbished quantities, quantity of hazardous and/or other waste including solid waste or plastic waste generated after recycling/refurbishment and disposal of such quantity, and the quarterly return are to be filed by the end of the month succeeding the end of the quarter.

(c)  &  (d): Ministry  has  notified Battery  Waste Management Rules, 2022 on 22.08.2022  to ensure environmentally sound management of waste batteries. The environmental compensation collected under  Battery  Waste  Management  Rules,  2022  shall  be  utilised  in collection and refurbishing or recycling of uncollected and non-recycled or non-refurbished waste batteries. The modalities for utilisation of the funds for waste batteries management are recommended  by  the  Committee  for  Implementation,  constituted  under  the  rules,  for  the approval of Central Government. Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022 were notified on 22nd August, 2022. The last date for filing  of annual returns towards fulfilling obligations under Extended Producer Responsibility was 30 th  June, 2023 in respect of FY 2022-23.

(e) & (f): Producers of batteries have been mandated to meet Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) targets for collection and recycling/refurbishment of waste batteries under the rules. To meet the EPR obligations, producers may engage themselves or authorise any other entity for collection, recycling or refurbishment of waste batteries.

Ministry  of  Electronics  and  Information  Technology  (MeitY)  has  notified  the  Scheme  for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electronic Components and Semiconductors (SPECS) vide Gazette  Notification  No.  dated  01.04.2020  which  provides  financial  incentive  of  25%  on capital expenditure for the identified list of electronic goods that comprise the downstream value chain of electronic products which includes E-waste recycling facility for extraction of precious metals from electronic components. The detailed information about the  scheme is available at weblink https://www.meity.gov.in/esdm/SPECS. Also, to upgrade informal sector into  formal  value  chain  a  project  on  'Informal  Sector  Capacity  Building  Upgradation  with formation of recycling clusters under MSME CDP scheme' has been initiated by MeitY.

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