Lok Sabha Question No. 3779 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-16
Subject: E-waste Management
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri P C Mohan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3779 TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.03.2026

## E-waste Management

## 3779. SHRI P C MOHAN:

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

- (a) the current status of electronic waste generation and processing in the country, along with the steps  taken  to  reduce  accumulation  of  e-waste,  State/UT-wise  including  Karnataka  and Bengaluru;
- (b) the  role  of  authorised  e-waste  recyclers  and  scrapping  facilities  in  scientific  disposal  and recovery of valuable materials and the capacity created for such processing;
- (c) the manner in which Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) guidelines ensure accountability of the manufacturers and importers for collection, recycling and safe disposal of electronic waste; and
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  introduced  any  schemes,  incentives  or  policy  support  to encourage manufacturers, recyclers and start-ups to establish e-waste recycling and circular economy facilities, particularly in major technology hubs such as Bengaluru 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) The e-waste generation in the country has been assessed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) at national level based on the average life of 106 notified electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), as mandated under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 and countrywide sales data of respective relevant financial year of the 106 EEE as notified in Schedule-I of the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022, provided by the registered producers on the E-Waste Extended Producer Responsibility  (EPR)  Portal.  As  per  the  CPCB,  status  of  e-waste  generated  and  recycled  in  the country in the current Financial Year i.e. 2025-26 (so far) is 14,14,645.00 MT and 9,79,080.08 MT respectively.

The  registered  e-waste  recyclers  are  presently  located  in  19  States/UTs.  A  total  of  386 registered recyclers are listed on the E-Waste EPR Portal with a recycling capacity of 34,65,889.576 MT per annum. In Karnataka, there are 49 registered recyclers on the E-Waste EPR Portal with a recycling  capacity  of  169,420.52  MT  per  annum,  including  33  recyclers  in  Bengaluru  with  a recycling capacity of 75,020.92 MT per annum. As per the data available on the portal, the State/UTwise details of e-waste recycled in the current Financial Year i.e. 2025-26 (so far) is at Annexure .

Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  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  01.04.2023.  These  Rules  provide  for  managing  e-waste  in  an environmentally sound manner and putting in place an improved EPR regime for e-waste recycling wherein all the manufacturers, producers, refurbishers and recyclers 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 an environmentally sound manner. These Rules also promote Circular Economy through EPR regime and scientific recycling/disposal of the e-waste. The refurbishment and reuse of EEE has been incentivised in the said rules. The Rules have  provided  verification  and  audit  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.  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 an 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 e-waste activities and help them to enter into formal sector.
- (iv) As per the Action Plan, CPCB and SPCBs/PCCs are undertaking measures to facilitate the collection,  channelization  and  recycling  of  e-waste.  CPCB  has  also  issued  directions  to States/UTs to encourage the establishment of e-waste recycling facilities in regions where such facilities are limited compared to the quantum of e-waste generated.

Under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022, the Registered E-Waste Recyclers are generating EPR certificates in proportion with the quantity of E-Waste recycled by them. The producer shall fulfill their EPR obligation through online purchase of EPR certificate from registered recyclers only. As on 09.03.2026, there are 386 e-waste recyclers are registered at E-Waste EPR Portal with a total recycling  capacity  of  34,65,889.576  MT  per  annum,  thereby  creating  significant  capacity  for environmentally sound recycling and recovery of valuable materials from e-waste.

Under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022, the registered EEE manufacturer is required to collect e-waste generated during the manufacture of any electrical and electronic equipment and ensure its recycling or disposal. Further, an importer of both new EEE and used EEE is defined as a producer. As per the rules, the importer will be allowed to import both new and used EEE only after obtaining registration  at  the  centralized  E-Waste  EPR  Portal.  Further,  the  importers  are  also  assigned  EPR obligations based on the quantity of new and used EEE being imported by them. The rules ensure that an importer takes responsibility of the EEE being imported by them in the country and ensures its recycling after end of life in an environmentally sound manner through registered recyclers only.

(d) Ministry of Mines has informed that under the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM), the Government has approved a Rs. 1,500 crore incentive scheme for recycling capacity of e-waste, spent  lithium-ion  batteries  and  other  scrap.  The  Scheme  guidelines  were  issued  and  the  Scheme launched  on  02.10.2025.  The  Scheme  incentivizes  recycling  capacity  for  extraction  of  critical minerals. The Scheme is applicable across the country, including Bengaluru.

As per the information received from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KPCB), the  Government  of  Karnataka  has  introduced  supportive  policy  measures  to  promote  circular economy  initiatives  and  encourage  investment  in  recycling  infrastructure.  Under  the  Karnataka Industrial  Policy  2025-30,  incentives  have  been  provided  for  establishing  waste  recycling  and resource  recovery  facilities,  including  those  related  to  e-waste.  The  policy  provides  financial incentives such as capital subsidy up to 50% of the project cost, subject to a maximum limit of Rs. 5 crore,  for  setting  up  recycling  or  waste-to-energy  facilities.  These  initiatives  aim  to  encourage manufacturers, recyclers, and start-ups to invest in sustainable waste management technologies and circular economy models.

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State/UT-wise details of E-waste recycled (in MT)

| S. No.   | State/UTs        | FY 2025-26 (so far)   |
|----------|------------------|-----------------------|
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh   | 1.64                  |
| 2.       | Assam            | 10.16                 |
| 3.       | Bihar            | #                     |
| 4.       | Chhattisgarh     | 4871.82               |
| 5.       | Gujarat          | 59636.98              |
| 6.       | Haryana          | 135951.63             |
| 7.       | Himachal Pradesh | 318.47                |
| 8.       | Jharkhand        | 174.85                |
| 9.       | Karnataka        | 27379.27              |
| 10.      | Kerala           | 8980.60               |
| 11.      | Madhya Pradesh   | 12629.60              |
| 12.      | Maharashtra      | 47314.80              |
| 13.      | Punjab           | 7412.90               |
| 14.      | Rajasthan        | 34336.58              |
| 15.      | Tamil Nadu       | 10506.70              |
| 16.      | Telangana        | 161988.06             |
| 17.      | Uttar Pradesh    | 376896.74             |
| 18.      | Uttarakhand      | 88788.40              |
| 19.      | West Bengal      | 1880.88               |
|          | Total            | 9,79,080.08           |