4. 'electrical and electronic equipment‘
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
'e-waste'
means electrical and electronic equipment, including solar photo-voltaic
modules or panels or cells, whole or in part discarded as waste, as well as
rejects from manufacturing, refurbishment and repair processes
7. Composition of E-Waste
Composition of E-Waste includes materials like:
• Valuable metals like gold, platinum, silver and palladium.
• Useful metals like copper, aluminium, iron etc.
• Hazardous substances like radioactive isotopes and mercury.
• Toxic substances like PCB’s and Dioxins.
• Plastic like High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene
(ABS), Polycarbonate (PC), Polyphenylene oxide (PPO) etc.
• Glass material like Cathode ray tube glass made up of SiO2, CaO, Na.
For instance, a mobile phone contains more than 40 elements, base
metals such as Copper (Cu) and Tin (Sn), special metals such as
Lithium (Li), Cobalt (Co), Indium (In) and Antimony (Sb) and precious
metals such as Silver (Ag), Gold (Au), and Palladium (Pd).
8. Effects of E-Waste
The effects of improper disposal of E-waste on the environment pose very
real threats and dangers to the global environment at large. Improper
disposal of these wastes affect the soil, air and water components of the
environment.
• Effects of E-Waste on Air:
Most common result of E-waste on air is through air pollution. Burning of e
waste can release hydrocarbons within the atmosphere that pollutes the
air.
• E-Waste Negatively Impacts Soil:
E-waste can have a negative effect on the soil. As e-waste breaks down, it
releases toxic heavy metals. Such heavy metals include lead, arsenic, and
cadmium. When these toxins penetrate the soil, they influence the plants
and trees. Thus, these toxins can enter the human food supply, which can
lead to birth defects as well as a number of other health complications.
• Effects of E-Waste on Water:
Heavy metals like mercury, lithium, lead present in electronics (found in
mobile phone and computer batteries), etc., when not disposed properly,
these heavy metals penetrate from soil to groundwater which then run to
the surface as streams or small ponds of water.
9. Impact on human health
• Workers, aiming to recover valuable materials such as copper and
gold, are at risk of exposure to over 1,000 harmful substances,
including lead, mercury, nickel, brominated flame retardants and
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
• pregnant woman is exposed to those harmful substances, it can
affect the development and health of her unborn child both in and
out of the womb.
• Among children increased rates of attention deficit/hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), behavioural problems, changes in child
temperament, sensory integration difficulties, and reduced
cognitive and language scores.
• Other adverse child health impacts linked to e-waste include
changes in lung function, respiratory and respiratory effects, DNA
damage, impaired thyroid function and increased risk of some
chronic diseases later in life, such as cancer and cardiovascular
disease.
10. Issues related to E-waste in India
.–
.
issues Particulars
Volume of E-
waste generated
India stands fifth in e-waste generation producing around 20 lakhs
metric tonnes per annum
Involvement of
Child Labor-
adequate protection and safeguards in various yards and recycling
workshops
Lack of
infrastructure-
There is huge gap between present recycling and collection facilities
and quantum of E-waste that is being generated.
Ineffective
implementation
of Legislation-
Due to lack of infrastructure, non co operation between various
agencies etc
Poor awareness Lack of awareness progragrammess
Lack of incentive
schemes-
No clear guidelines are there for the unorganized sector to handle E-
waste. Also no incentives are given to people who are in unorganized
sector to adopt formal path for handling E-waste.
11. Issues Particulars
High cost of setting up
recycling facility-
Formal sector in India still has a long way to go in adopting
state - of-art technologies for e-waste recycling due to
problems in sourcing e-waste and partly due to difficulty in
making it profitable with high end investment in such
superior and costly technologies.
Even now there is no precious metal recovery plant in india
and all are exported
Bulk generators Waste management involves cost, in many developed
countries, generaor is paying, whereas in india , generater
wants money from recycler
12. Regulations in India
E-Waste management Rules, 2016 ( currently in force)
E-Waste management Rules, 2022 –come into force from 01.04.2023
13. Applicability of regulations
Engaged in Involved in components
manufacturer, manufacture, e-waste or electrical and electronic
equipment listed in Schedule I,
Producer sale including their components,
consumables, parts and spare
refurbisher, Transfer
Purchase
Refurbishing
Dismantling
recycling
processing
dismantler and
recycler
14. Not applicability of Regulations
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); and
radio-active wastes as covered under the provisions of the Atomic Energy
Act, 1962 (33 of 1962) and rules made there under
15. E-Waste -classification
• Information technology and telecommunication equipment:
• Consumer Electrical and Electronics and Photovoltaic Panels: :
• Large and Small Electrical and Electronic Equipment
• Electrical and Electronic Tools (With the exception of large- Scale
Stationary Industrial Tools)Large and Small Electrical and Electronic
Equipment
• Toys, Leisure and Sports Equipment
• Medical Devices (With the Exception of All Implanted and Infected
Products)
• Laboratory Instruments
16. Information technology and telecommunication
equipment
o Centralized data processing: Mainframes, Minicomputers
o Personal Computing: Personal Computers (Central Processing unit with
input and output devices)
o Personal Computing: Laptop Computers (Central Processing unit with
input and output devices)
o Cellular telephones
o Scanners
o BTS (all components excluding structure of tower)
o Routers
o GPS
o UPS
17. Consumer Electrical and Electronics and Photovoltaic
Panels
o Television sets
o Refrigerator
o Washing Machine
o Air- Conditioners excluding centralised air conditioning plants
o Fluorescent and other Mercury containing lamps
o Electronic Photo frames,
o Electronic Display Panel,
o Monitors
o Digital camera
o Solar panels/cells, solar Photovoltaic panels/cells/modules
o Set top Boxes
18. Large and Small Electrical and Electronic Equipment
o Large cooling appliances
o Freezers
o Dish Washing Machines
o Electric cookers
o Electric stoves
o Electric hot plates
o Microwaves,
o Microwave Oven
o Electric heating appliances
o Electric radiators
o Fans
o Vacuum cleaners
o Carpet sweepers
o Hair dryer
o Electric shaver
o Electric kettle
19. Electrical and Electronic Tools (With the exception of
large- Scale Stationary Industrial Tools)
o Drills
o Saws
o Sewing Machines
o Equipment for turning, milling, sanding, grinding, sawing, cutting,
shearing, drilling, making holes, punching, folding, bending or
similar processing of wood, metal and other materials
o Tools for riveting, nailing or screwing or removing rivets, nails,
screws or similar uses
o Tools for welding, soldering, or similar use
o Equipment for spraying, spreading, dispersing or other treatment
of liquid or gaseous substance by other means
o Tools for mowing or other gardening activities
20. Toys, Leisure and Sports Equipment
• Electrical trains or car racing sets
• Hand-held video games consoles
• Video games
• Computers for biking, diving, running, rowing, etc.
• Sports equipment with electric or electronic components
• Coin slot machines
21. Medical Devices (With the Exception of All Implanted
and Infected Products)
o Radiotherapy equipment and accessories
o Cardiology equipment and accessories
o Dialysis equipment and accessories
o Pulmonary ventilators and accessories
o Nuclear Medicine Equipment and accessories
o Laboratory equipment for in vitro diagnosis and accessories
o Analysers and accessories
o Magnetic Resonance Imaging
o Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scanner, Computed Tomography (CT)
Scanner, & Ultrasound Equipment along with accessories MDW8 Fertilization
tests equipment and accessories MDW9 Other electric
appliances/equipment/kits used for preventing, screening, detecting,
monitoring, evaluating, reviewing, examining, investigating, probing, treating
illness sickness, disease, disorder, affliction, infection, injury, trauma, abuse or
disability including the Mobiles, Tablets or any other device with the features
having the potential of sex selection and their accessories
23. Terms
'bulk consumer' means any entity which has used at least one thousand
units of electrical and electronic equipment listed in
Schedule I, at any point of time in the particular Financial
Year and includes e-retailer
“end of life ‘end-of-life’ of the product means the time when the
product is intended to be discarded by the user
'disposal and
treatment'
'disposal and treatment' means any operation which does
not lead to recycling, recovery or reuse and includes
physicochemical or biological treatment, incineration and
deposition in secured landfill
'environmentally sound management of e-waste' means
taking 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
24. 'facility' 'facility' means any location wherein the process incidental to the
collection, reception, storage, segregation, refurbishing, recycling,
disposal and treatment of e-waste are carried out
'dismantler
'
'dismantler' means any person or entity engaged in dismantling of used
electrical and electronic equipment into their components and having
authorisation from concerned State Pollution Control Board or Pollution
Control Committee as per the guidelines of the Central Pollution Control
Board;
‘recycler’ ‘recycler’ means any person or entity who is engaged in recycling and
reprocessing of waste electrical and electronic equipment or assemblies
or their components or their parts for recovery of precious, semi-
precious metals including rare earth elements and other useful
recoverable materials to strengthened the secondary sourced materials
and having facilities as elaborated in the guidelines of the Central
Pollution Control Board made in this regard;
'refurbisher 'refurbisher' means any person or entity repairing or assembling used
electrical and electronic equipment as listed in Schedule-I for extending
25. ‘extended
producer
responsibility’
means responsibility of any producer 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;
‘historical
e-waste’
means e-waste generated from electrical and electronic equipment as
specified in Schedule-I which was available on the date from which
these rules come into force;
orphaned
products’
means non-branded or assembled electrical and electronic equipment
as specified in Schedule-I or those produced by a company which has
closed its operations
manufacturer ‘manufacturer’ means a person or an entity or a company as defined
in the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013) or a factory as defined in the
Factories Act, 1948 (63 of 1948) or Small and Medium Enterprises as
defined in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development
Act, 2006 (27 of 2006), which has facilities for manufacture of
electrical and electronic equipment as specified in Schedule-I;
26. ‘producer’ ‘producer’ means any person or entity who, -
o manufactures and offers to sell electrical and electronic
equipment and their components or consumables or parts
or spares under its own brand;
or
o offers to sell under its own brand, assembled electrical and
electronic equipment and their components or consumables
or parts or spares produced by other manufacturers or
suppliers;
or
o offers to sell imported electrical and electronic equipment
and their components or consumables or parts or spares;
or
o who imports used electrical and electronic equipment;
irrespective of the selling technique used such as dealer,
retailer, e-retailer, etc.;
target’ means the quantity of e-waste to be recycled through registered
recycler by the producer in fulfilment of extended producer
responsibility
27. Responsibilities of bulk consumer
. Bulk consumers of electrical and electronic equipment listed in Schedule I
shall ensure that e-waste generated by them
shall be
handed over only to the registered producer, refurbisher or recycler
28. Responsibilities of the producer
. The producer of electrical and electronic equipment listed in Schedule I
shall be responsible for –
1. obtaining and implementing extended producer responsibility targets
as per Schedule-III and Schedule-IV through the portal: Provided that the
producer having extended producer responsibility plan under the
provisions of the erstwhile E-Waste (Management) Rules,
2. creating awareness through media, publications, advertisements,
posters or by any other means of communication;
29. Responsibilities of the recycler
. - All recycler shall have to
1. ensure that the facility and recycling processes are in accordance with
the standards or guidelines laid down by the CPCB in this regard from
time to time;
2. ensure that the fractions or material not recycled in its facility is sent to
the respective registered recyclers;
3. ensure that residue generated during recycling process is disposed of in
anauthorised treatment storage disposal facility;
4. maintain record of e-waste collected, dismantled, recycled and sent to
registered recycler on the portal and make available all records for
verification or audit as and when required;
5. accept waste electrical and electronic equipment or components not
listed in Schedule-I for recycling provided that they do not contain any
radioactive material and same shall be uploaded on the portal;
6. create awareness through media, publications, advertisements, posters
or by such other means of communication;
30. Responsibilities of State Government or Union
territories
1. The Department of Industry in the State or any other government
agency authorised in this regard by the State Government shall ensure
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.
2. Department of Labor in the State or any other government agency
authorised in this regard by the State Government
a) ensure recognition and registration of workers involved in dismantling
and recycling;
b) assist formation of groups of such workers to facilitate setting up of
dismantling facilities;
c) undertake industrial skill development activities for the workers
involved in dismantling and recycling;
d) undertake annual monitoring and to ensure safety and health of
workers involved in dismantling and recycling.
31. hazardous substances
• Reduction in the use of hazardous substances in the manufacture of EEE and
their components or consumables or parts or spares. –
Every producer of EEE and their components or consumables or parts or
spares listed shall ensure that, new electrical and electronic equipment and
their components or consumables or parts or spares
do not contain
Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Hexavalent Chromium, polybrominated biphenyls
and polybrominated diphenyl ethers beyond a maximum concentration value
of 0.1 per cent by weight in homogenous materials for lead, mercury,
hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl
ethers and of 0.01 per cent by weight in homogenous materials for cadmium
Exemption
• Components or consumables or parts or spares required for the electrical and
electronic equipment placed in the market prior to the 1st May, 2014 may be
exempted from the provisions provided reduction of hazardous substances
compliant parts and spares are not available
• Manufacture and supply of electrical and electronic equipment used for
defence and other similar strategic applications shall be excluded
32. Every producer shall provide the detailed information on the constituents of
the equipment and their components or consumables or parts or spares
along with a declaration of conformance to the reduction of hazardous
substances provisions in the product user documentation.
Imports or placement in the market for new electrical and electronic
equipment shall be permitted only for those which are compliant
Manufacturer shall use the technology or methods so as to make the end
product recyclable
Manufacturer shall ensure that component or part made by different
manufacturer are compatible with each other so as to reduce the quantity of
e-waste.
The CPCB shall conduct random sampling of EEE placed on the market to
monitor and verify the compliance of reduction of hazardous substances
provisions and the cost for sample and testing shall be borne by the
producer and the random sampling shall be as per the guidelines laid down
by the CPCB in this regard
If the product does not comply with reduction of hazardous substances
provisions, the producer shall take corrective measures to bring the product
into compliance and withdraw or recall the product from the market, within
a reasonable period as per the guidelines laid down by the CPCB in this
regard.
33. Benefits of recycling
• EEE waste is considered as one of the rich sources of secondary raw
materials and can contribute towards resource security and environmental
sustainability (saves natural resources)
• Recycling reduces waste sent to landfills and incinerators.
• Using recycled components obtained from e waste are cheaper than ones
obtained from mining activities. This way manufacturing cost can be
reduced and end product can be more affordable
• Prevents pollution
• Adds to circular economy
34. Formal v/s Informal
In
Informal Formal
Cathode Ray Tubes’ (CRTs) are broken
manually to separate its components – glass,
metal and copper. The glass, comprising lead,
is sold to bakeries or bangle makers. Since it
retains heat, the glass goes into the base of
ovens. Phosphors, if inhaled, can be toxic. The
CRTs are sold to nonbranded television
makers.
Components of the CRTs are separated by
heating in a closed chamber, which sucks out
phosphors from the components. They are
then crushed in shredder machines. Glass
containing lead is sold to the companies that
manufacture the CRTs.
Circuit boards have goldplated brass pins,
microchips and condensers which are
separated by heating. Fumes released during
heating are toxic. Gold-plated brass pins are
soaked in acid to recover the gold and brass
separately. Microchips and condensers are
heated in big containers filled with acid to
extract metallic parts.
Circuit boards are crushed in shredder
machines. They are sent to approved
smelters abroad, where after smelting at
1200°C, the metals in the circuit board
collect together. Since smelting is carried out
in closed chambers at high temperature, it is
not hazardous. The metals—lead, copper,
nickel, tin, gold, silver, palladium—are then
separated by electro-refining
35. Refurbished materials -Advantages
Issues Particulars
1 Cost The main benefit of buying refurbished electronics is the cost. As
these gadgets are reconditioned products resold by the refurbisher,
their price is much lower than the new ones. In fact, some items
are sold at more than 50% discount which makes it an attractive
deal for the consumers.
2 Certified
testing
Most of the refurbished electronics undergo certified testing which
is either carried out by the refurbishing experts. The faulty parts in
the electronics are repaired and then tested again for checking
their performance before they are diffused in the market for resale.
Altogether, double-checking is conducted to ensure the technology
is ready for optimal use. Therefore, when buying refurbished
gadgets, there are chances that you receive a properly working and
best-conditioned device
36. Issues Particulars
3 Reliable The manufacturers who resell these items, check all the defects
and damages before selling them. If you are buying refurbished
electronics from an authorised refurbisher you can be assured
that these products are reliable.
On the other hand, refurbished gadgets acquired from third-
party sellers may be less reliable.
4 Eco-
friendly
Buying refurbished electronics instead of dumping in landfills can
bring a second life to the electronic devices. This can leave a
positive impact on the environment ( reduction in extractions
from earth) and save it from getting polluted through the
harmful penetration of the hazardous elements into the
atmosphere.
5 Availability
of older
models
Many people prefer older models instead of the new and
upgraded versions since older versions fulfill their requirements
more effectively. But the reality is months or few years after a
new version of a laptop or smartphone is launched in the market,
the manufacturers often discontinue the older versions. So if you
37. Cons
Issues Particulars
1 Short-term
warranty
Refurbished products do not come with a long time guarantee
period as the new ones. Though manufacturers sell these items
with a warranty, the warranty period is short. This is the greatest
disadvantage of buying refurbished technology.
2 Unknown
lifespan
When we buy a new smartphone we know that it will last at least
for a year or two. But the case is not the same with refurbished
gadgets. The manufacturers of refurbished devices do not assure
the lifespan of these devices. These products keep you in doubt
about how long they will last. Some may last for more than 3 to 4
years and some may break down within few months.
3 Uncertainty
about the
integral
parts and
accessories
New electronic devices give us a satisfaction that all its parts and
accessories are brand new and original. But in case of refurbished
electronics, it is impossible to know about the authenticity of the
product. Since the refurbished electronics are repaired and resold,
it might be possible that the manufacturer has replaced the
original accessory with the duplicate counterpart for better
38. Circular economy
Circular economy (CE) is an industrial system, which is an alternative to highly
extractive and resource intensive linear economy principle of take-make-
dispose.
CE replaces the end-of-life concept with restoration and regeneration, shifts
towards usage of superior design of materials, products, systems and
business models for waste elimination.
CE aims at retaining value of resources, products and materials at their
highest by keeping them in use as long as possible, minimizing wastage at
each life-cycle stage, and extracting the maximum value through reusing,
repairing, recovering, remanufacturing and regenerating products and
materials at the end of each service value.
39. Educating Childern
• Reaching out to children
• Children are not only more perceptive to environmental
concerns but they are also the citizens of tomorrow and
therefore it is very necessary to reach out to them. E-
waste management,
• methods of its disposal and concepts of reusing and recycling
should be thoroughly taught at all levels so that they can
become the actors of change.
• Educating Children will not only bring awareness to their
homes and parents but it will also create a foundation for a
better tomorrow.
40. Issues relating to public participation
• By raising awareness about harms of e-waste
• Robust efforts from government
• Starting collection centers
• Fair pricing
• Encourage exchange offer
