The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change issued the E-Waste Management Rules, 2016, which replaced the E-Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011. Every year, 17 lakh tonnes of E-waste are generated, with an annual increase of 5% in E-waste generation. The revised Rules provide stricter standards and reflect the government's greater commitment to environmental control. This article will explain to you about the E-Waste Management Rules, 2016 which will be helpful in preparing the Environment Syllabus for the UPSC Civil Service exam.

E-Waste Management Rules, 2016 - Salient Features

• Producer responsibility organisation (PRO), manufacturer, dealer, and refurbisher (PRO) have been included as additional stakeholders.
• The rules now apply to components, consumables, spares, and parts of EEE in addition to the equipment listed in Schedule I.
• Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) and other mercury-containing lamps are now subject to regulations.
• For collection of e-waste by producers under Extended Producer Responsibility, a collection mechanism-based approach has been adopted, which includes collection centres, collection points, take-back systems, and so on.
• PRO, e-waste exchange, e-retailer, and Deposit Refund Scheme have been proposed as additional channels for Producers to implement EPR and ensure efficient e-waste channelization.
• CPCB has introduced a provision for Pan-India EPR authorization, which has replaced state-by-state EPR authorization.
• Collection and channelisation of e-waste in Extended Producer Responsibility - Authorisation must meet the targets set out in Schedule III of the Rules.
• The phase-wise collection target for e-waste, which can be either in number or weight, shall be 30% of the quantity of waste generation as indicated in the EPR Plan during the first two years of rule implementation, 40% during the third and fourth years, 50% during the fifth and sixth years, and 70% during the seventh year and beyond.
• As an additional economic instrument, the Deposit Refund Scheme has been introduced, in which the producer charges an additional amount as a deposit at the time of sale of the electrical and electronic equipment and returns it to the consumer along with interest when the end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment is returned.
• The rules provide for e-waste exchange as an option as an independent market instrument providing assistance or independent electronic systems providing services for the sale and purchase of e-waste generated from end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment between agencies or organisations authorised under these rules.
• The manufacturer is now also responsible for collecting e-waste generated during the manufacturing of any electrical and electronic equipment and channelling it for recycling or disposal, as well as seeking authorization from the SPCB.
• If the dealer has been tasked with collecting e-waste on behalf of the producer, he or she must collect it by providing the consumer with a box and channel it to the producer.
• The amount shall be refunded to the depositor of e-waste by the dealer, retailer, or e-retailer in accordance with the take back system or Deposit Refund Scheme of producer.
• Refurbishers must collect e-waste generated during the refurbishment process and channel it to an authorised dismantler or recycler via its collection centre, as well as obtain a one-time authorization from SPCB.
• The State Government's roles have also been incorporated into the Rules in order to ensure the safety, health, and skill development of workers involved in dismantling and recycling operations.
• The transportation of e-waste shall be carried out in accordance with the manifest system, with the transporter carrying a document (three copies) prepared by the sender outlining the details.
• Liability for environmental or third-party damages caused by improper e-waste management has also been established, as has the provision for levying financial penalties for violations of the Rules.
• Urban Local Bodies (Municipal Committee/Council/Corporation) have been tasked with collecting and directing orphan products to authorised dismantlers or recyclers.

E-Waste in India

• Every year, India generates approximately 18.5 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of electronic garbage, with Mumbai and Delhi-NCR accounting for the lion's share.
• Other key cities that generate a significant amount of e-waste are Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmadabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Surat, and Nagpur.
• Maharashtra ranks first among the eight largest e-waste producing states, followed by Tamil Nadu (2nd), Andhra Pradesh (3rd), Uttar Pradesh (4th), Delhi (5th), Gujarat (6th), Karnataka (7th), and West Bengal (8th).
• Over half of the developed world's e-waste is sent to developing countries, mostly China, India, and Pakistan, where metals such as copper, iron, silicon, nickel, and gold are recovered during the recycling process.
• Unlike in wealthy nations, where facilities for recycling e-waste have been specifically established, recycling in poor countries frequently involves manual participation, exposing employees to harmful compounds included in e-waste.

Some Examples of E-wastes and Health effects

Reasons for High E-Waste Production

• Higher rate of electronic consumption: India is one of the world's greatest consumers of mobile phones.
• Shorter product life cycles: Previous electronic gadgets became obsolete when new improvements and models were introduced to the market.
• Repair possibilities are limited: Many manufacturers prohibit repair and reuse facilities.
• The Environmental Protection Agency of the United States estimates that more than 151 million phones are trashed each year, or approximately 416,000 per day, and are burnt or landfilled.
• Consumer Uncertainty and Unawareness: The majority of consumers are still unsure on how to properly dispose of their e-waste. The majority of Indians sell their e-waste to the informal sector.

E-waste Awareness Programme

• Since 2015, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, MeitY, has collaborated with industry associations to launch an E-waste Awareness programme as part of Digital India activities.
• Its goal is to raise public awareness about the dangers of unorganised e-waste recycling and to educate people about alternative means of disposing of their e-waste.
• The programme emphasises the importance of implementing ecologically acceptable e-waste recycling procedures.
• The general people are also encouraged to participate in 'Swachh Digital Bharat' by only disposing of e-waste at authorised recyclers.
• The initiative has implemented the greatest e-waste recycling procedures available globally, so that this sector may provide jobs as well as viable business opportunities for residents.

Amendment in E-Waste Management Rules, 2016

• The rule changes were made with the goal of channelling the country's e-waste to authorised dismantlers and recyclers in order to formalise the e-waste recycling sector.
• The collection targets under the Rules' Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) provision have been revised, and targets have been introduced for new producers who have recently begun their sales operations.
  • The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) e-waste collection targets have been amended and will be implemented on October 1, 2017.
  • The phase-wise collection targets for e-waste in weight are 10% of the waste produced mentioned in the EPR Plan for 2017-18, with a 10% rise per year through 2023.
  • From 2023 onwards, the aim will be 70% of the amount of trash generated as specified in the EPR Plan.
  • The volume of e-waste collected by manufacturers between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2017 must be included in the revised EPR targets until March 2018.
  • Separate e-waste collection targets have been developed for new producers, i.e. those with fewer years of sales operation than the typical life of their products.
  • The government is responsible for the expense of sampling and testing under the Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) rules.
  • If the product fails to meet RoHS requirements, the cost of the test will be borne by the manufacturers.

Conclusion

Electronic waste, or e-waste, is a major threat not only to flora and fauna, but also to humanity's very existence. E-waste is considered hazardous because certain components of some electronic products contain hazardous materials, depending on their condition and density. If computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, fax machines, electric lamps, cell phones, audio equipment, and batteries are not properly disposed of, lead and other substances can be released into the soil and groundwater. Many of these products can be reused, refurbished, or recycled in an environmentally responsible manner, making them less harmful to the environment.