International E-Waste Day is celebrated every year on October 14th since 2018. This provides an opportunity to consider the impacts of electronic waste. The day’s theme for this year is ‘Recycle it all, no matter how small’. According to Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Forum, a non-profit organization that initiated this day, about 5.3 billion mobile/smartphones are projected to drop out of use in 2022.
Understanding WEEE Forum
The WEEE Forum is the world’s largest multi-national center of expertise concerning waste electrical and electronic equipment management. Founded in April 2002, it’s a not-for-profit association of 46 WEEE producer responsibility organizations worldwide. By sharing best practices and access to its knowledge base toolbox, the WEEE Forum helps its members enhance their operations and promotes the circular economy.
What is e-waste?
E-Waste, short for Electronic-Waste, refers to old, discarded or end-of-life electronic appliances. This also includes their components, consumables, parts, and spares. India has had laws managing e-waste since 2011, which mandate only authorized dismantlers and recyclers to collect e-waste. In 2017, the E-waste (Management) Rules, 2016 was enacted, and India’s first e-waste clinic for segregating, processing, and disposal of waste from household and commercial units was established in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
The Basel Convention and Nairobi Declaration
Originally, the Basel Convention (1992) did not mention e-waste, but later addressed e-waste issues in 2006 (COP8). The Nairobi Declaration, adopted at COP9 of the Basel Convention on the Control of the Trans-boundary Movement of Hazardous Waste, aimed to create innovative solutions for the environmentally sound management of electronic wastes.
Challenges in E-Waste Management in India
E-waste management in India faces various challenges. These include a lack of public involvement in handing over used electronic devices for recycling, engagement of about 4.5 lakh child laborers in e-waste activities, inadequate legislation, health hazards due to toxic materials in e-waste, the absence of clear guidelines and incentives for the unorganized sector to handle e-waste, large amounts of e-waste imports, lack of coordination among authorities managing e-waste, and security issues related to sensitive data on end-of-life computers.
Provisions for E-Waste Management in India
India has formal rules for electronic waste management, first announced in 2016 and amended in 2018. The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change notified the E-Waste Management Rules, 2016, which superseded the E-waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011. Over 21 products were included under the purview of this rule, bringing producers under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), along with targets. It introduced the Deposit Refund Scheme as an additional economic instrument and assigned responsibilities to state governments and urban local bodies to ensure safety, health and skill development of the workers involved in dismantling and recycling operations.
The Way Forward
To address the various challenges in e-waste management, it’s essential to implement better methodologies and inclusion policies that engage the informal sector. Encouraging informal sector participation can improve e-waste management practices, protect the environment, enhance workers’ health and working conditions, and provide better work opportunities to over a million people. There is also a need to generate employment through promoting cooperatives and expanding the scope of the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 to include these cooperatives or informal sector workers.
