Concept Note on Corporate eWaste Management
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India generates 18.5 lakh tonnes of e-waste annually, which is growing at 3-5% per year. The new e-waste management rules of 2016 place extended producer responsibility on manufacturers and dealers to safely dispose of e-waste and set up collection points. The rules also assign recycling targets to increase organized sector recycling from 2% currently. However, corporate organizations typically dispose of e-waste through the informal grey market instead of authorized recyclers due to higher costs. To improve compliance, corporate initiatives need partnerships for recycling and incentives for consumers to participate in take-back schemes.
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Concept Note on Corporate eWaste Management
- 1. Concept Note on Corporate e-Waste Management Background India, the 5th largest global producer of e-waste, generates 18,50,000 (18.5 lakh) tonnes of e-waste every year. At a rate of 3-5 % per year e-Waste is the fastest growing waste stream in India. More than 25% of the 100 crore mobile phonesincirculation endup as e-waste and contribute to at least 12% of e-waste generated inIndia.Toaddressthismonstrousproblem,the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has introduced new and strict e-waste management rules, 2016 (Rules, henceforth). The Rulescome intoeffecton1st October2016 withthe objective of enabling recovery and reuse of useful materials from e-waste and reducing disposal and inappropriate handling of e- waste byensuringextendedproducerresponsibility and eco-friendly management of e-waste. The Rulesare applicable toeverymanufacturer,producer,consumer,bulkconsumer,collection centers, dealers, e-retailer, refurbisher, dismantler and recycler involved in manufacture, sale, transfer, purchase, collection, storage and processing of e-waste or electrical and electronic equipment, includingtheircomponents,consumables,partsandspareswhich make the product operational, as described in Schedule-I of the Rules, which also explicitly define the exceptions. What’s new in the 2016 e-Waste Rules? In particular, the following new changes are included in the e-waste Rules 2016: 1. Recycling of Compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) and mercury-containing lamps is mandatory. 2. For the firsttime, the onusof disposingtoxic e-waste is now on the manufacturers, dealers and refurbishers,whoare additionalstakeholderswith producerresponsibility organization (PRO). The 2011 rules limited the responsibility to the brand owners of the electronic products, consumers, dismantlers and recyclers. 3. Everyproducerof electronicproductsnow hastoapplyfor extendedproducerresponsibility (EPR) within 90 days from the date the rules are ratified. The producers have to ensure set up of collection points for safe disposal of e-waste containing mercury by consumers, and ensure that the e-waste is treated and disposed without harming the environment. 4. Those whofail to getEPR authorization will not be able to put their products in the market. 5. EPR authorization will be certified by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) after evaluatingplanssubmittedbythe producertosafelytreat e-waste. CPCBwill ensure proper implementationof the responsibilities with regular monitoring, as mentioned in the Rules. 6. The producersunderEPR can charge theircustomers adepositamount at the time of sale of electronic products, which has to be refunded when the customer disposes the product. 7. The Rules have assigned a target of 30% of e-waste generated to be under EPR in the first two years, progressively going up to 70% in the seventh year of the Rules. 8. Henceforth,statesare alsoboundtoundertake skill development activities for the workers who are involved in e-waste handling, dismantling, and other management processes. 9. Every manufacturer, producer, bulk consumer, collection center, dealer, refurbisher, dismantlerandrecyclermaystore the e-waste foraperiodnot exceeding 108 days, but may be extended to 365 days by the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) if the waste needs to be specifically stored for development of a process for its recycling or reuse.
- 2. Corporate Initiatives on e-waste Management India has more than 100 recycling companies including big names such as Attero, and a largely informal (grey) recycling market that had existed for decades before corporate responsibility of e- waste was identified. However, corporate organizations typically pass on the work of disposing e- waste to their administration departments who are willing to dispose their e-waste in the grey marketwhere itfetchesmore money –the dangersit posesare much higher. Traditionally, informal recyclers pull apartcast-off electronics and dip the printed circuit boards, where the most valuable metalsare,intocyanide andothertoxicchemicalstoleachoutelementslikegoldandcopper.Safety equipment is rare or non-existent, and the chemicals often leak into local water tables, causing environmental and health hazards. A recent study by ASSOCHAM states that only 2% of e-waste gets recycled through the organized sector. Anand Tater, Founder and Director, Reboot System (I) Pvt. Ltd., a Gurgaon-based recycling firm says that “70 percent in the country do not know how to recycle e-waste. In a 2014 article, ShrikantSinha,CEO, NasscomFoundation saidthat “The awareness of disposal of e waste is almost nil in the country” and R Chandrashekhar, President, Nasscom says that only 1.23% of Indian companieshave exclusive policies formanaginge-wastewithdefinedTurnAroundTime (TAT). While several companies have initiated take-back schemes, green boxes, and collection centers, these initiatives have met with little or no success because consumers have to pay for recycling. To incentivize adoptionof suchschemes,there isa need for the industry to develop partnerships with waste-recyclingcompanies,other waste generators and handlers (paper, plastic, glass, metal, etc.) Corporate initiatives shouldnotburden the consumer with additional cost on recycling; consumers will only come onboardwhenthe repurchase offer andguarantee of eco-friendly disposal is better than that of the unorganised sector and a collection mechanism is available for ease of disposal. Problem Statement 1. Corporate entities have little awareness of e-waste problem and no impetus to find solutions. Informal sector is very active, but ill-prepared to manage e-wastes sustainably. 2. Indianconsumersare notinclinedtorecycle e-waste without financial incentives. They are also inclined to choose products that don’t add excess cost of recycling. 3. Government has mandated e-waste management for many more entities than before and explicitly mentioned the exempted bodies. It has also made CPCB the official body to administer the Rules and punish offenders as prescribed by the Rules. Method(s) Desk-basedresearchforidentifying, structuring,anddeliveringthe outcomeslistedbelow. Outcomes The prospective outcomesof thisexerciseincluderecommendationsanddetailedinformationon: 1. Worldbenchmarksof corporate e-waste management 2. Authorizedvendors/handlersof e-waste 3. Customerengagementone-waste 4. Specificcollectionmechanisms