FAQ’s
Answers Your Most Common QuestionsThoughts
Electronic Waste (E-Waste) means electrical and electronic equipment, whole or in part, discarded as waste by the consumer or bulk consumer, as well as rejects from manufacturing, refurbishment, and repair processes. It comprises of end of life information technology and telecommunication (IT & Telecoms) equipment such as centralized data processing, mainframes, minicomputers, personal computers, laptops, printers, use terminals, cellular phone, etc. and end of life consumer electrical and electronics such as television sets, refrigerator, air conditioner, washing machine and fluorescent and other mercury containing lamps. This equipment, along with its EEE code, is listed in Schedule I of the rules (Annexure 1)
Yes, E-waste contains hazardous substances such as lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), brominated flame retardants (BFRs), etc.
E-waste can cause health risks and damage to the environment if the E-waste is opened up and attempts are made for the retrieval of useful components or material in an unscientific manner, or if the material is disposed of in an open manner. The electronic and electrical equipment after their useful life may not cause any harm if stored safely in households/stores.
The management of E-Waste in India is regulated through E-Waste (M) Rules, 2016, under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. Further, the rules have been amended in 2018. Digital copies of these rules are uploaded to CPCB’s website.
The overall objective of E-Waste(M) rules, 2016 is to take all steps required to ensure that e-waste is managed in a manner that shall protect health and the environment against any adverse effects that may result from such e-waste.
Electronic Waste (E-Waste) means electrical and electronic equipment, whole or in part, discarded as waste by the consumer or bulk consumer, as well as rejects from manufacturing, refurbishment, and repair processes. It comprises of end of life information technology and telecommunication (IT & Telecoms) equipment such as centralized data processing, mainframes, minicomputers, personal computers, laptops, printers, use terminals, cellular phone, etc. and end of life consumer electrical and electronics such as television sets, refrigerator, air conditioner, washing machine and fluorescent and other mercury containing lamps. This equipment, along with its EEE code, is listed in Schedule I of the rules (Annexure 1)
Yes, E-waste contains hazardous substances such as lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), brominated flame retardants (BFRs), etc.
E-waste can cause health risks and damage to the environment if it is opened up and attempts are made to retrieve useful components or materials in an unscientific manner, or if the material is disposed of in the open. The electronic and electrical equipment (EEE) after their useful life may not cause any harm if stored safely in households/stores. The electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) have valuable materials and hazardous/toxics substances in their components. E-Waste can be considered as a resource that contains useful material of economic benefit for recovery of plastics, iron, glass, aluminum, copper and precious metals such as silver, gold, platinum, and palladium and lead, cadmium, mercury etc. However, at the same time presence of heavy metals (As, Cd, Hg, Pb etc.) and other toxic substances such as Polychlorinated Bi-phenyls (PCBs), etched chemicals, etc. may pose risk to health and environment during handling and recovery operations.
The management of E-Waste in India is presently regulated under E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. Further the Rules are effective from 01-04- 2023. Rules are available at CPCB’s website.
The overall objective of E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022is to take all steps required to ensure that E-Waste is managed in a manner which shall protect health and environment against any adverse effects, which may result from such E-Waste.
The salient features of the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 are as follows:
- i. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for the producers of electrical or electronic equipment as given in Schedule-I for meeting recycling targets as per Schedule-III and Schedule-IV, only through registered recyclers of E-Waste to ensure environmentally sound management of such waste.
- 106 EEEs under seven categories have been covere.
iii. Focuses on recycling E-Waste recycling targets as EPR Obligation to Producers in terms of end products of recycling.
- Provision for generation of EPR certificate on the EPR Portal based on E-Waste recycled in terms of four end products (gold, copper, aluminum, iron).
- Producers to fulfil their EPR obligation by proportionately purchasing of EPR certificate on the Portal from registered recyclers.
- Encouraging re-use of EEEs, through generation of Refurbishing Certificate.
vii. Management of Solar photo-voltaic modules or panel or cells, included in the schedule however, no recycling target only storage till 2034-35.
viii. Provision for imposition and collection of environmental compensation charges in case of violation of any of the provision of these rules.
- Quarterly and Annual Returns by Producers.
- Audit of stakeholders.
The Environmentally Sound Management of e-waste means taking all steps required to ensure that e-waste is managed in a manner that shall protect health and the environment against any adverse effects that may result from such e-waste.
Electrical & Electronic Equipment (EEE) including their components, consumables, parts and spares which make the product operational as listed in Schedule- I of the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 are applicable for producer registration.
Under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022, 'Electrical and Electronic Equipment' (EEE) means equipment which are dependent on electric current or electro-magnetic field in order to become functional and also the equipment for the generation, transfer and measurements of the electricity.
A. E-waste contains useful material of economic benefit, such as plastics, iron, glass, aluminum, copper, precious metals such as silver, gold, platinum, palladium and indium etc and rare earth elements such as lanthanum, neodymium etc. and hazardous substances such as lead, cadmium, mercury etc. and other toxic substances such as polychlorinated bi-phenyls, etched chemicals, etc. The most complex mix of substances is usually present in the printed circuit boards (PCBs)/ printed wiring boards (PWBs).
The E-Waste (M) Rules, 2022 shall not apply to following:
- Waste batteries as covered under the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022;
- Packaging plastics as covered under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016;
- Micro enterprise as defined in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act,2006 (27 of 2006);
- Radio-active wastes as covered under the provisions of the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 (33 of 1962) and rules made there under.
Under the EPR, Producers have been given phase wise EPR Obligation (recycling target) of EWaste. EPR Obligations are effective from 1st April 2023 and for the FY 2023-24 & FY 2024-25 it is 60% of the quantity of waste generation, followed by 70% during FY 2025-26 & FY 2026- 27, 80% during FY 2027-28 and onwards. In case the producer has started sale recently, EPR Obligation shall be applicable as per Schedule-IV and these targets are applicable from FY 2023- 24 and is 15% of sale in 2021-22 and for FY 2024-25 it is 20% of sale in FY 2022- 23, and for FY 2025-2026 onwards it is 20% of the sales figure of the financial year two years back.