E-waste (Management) Rules 2022

Why in news?

• The government has notified E-Waste (Management) Rules 2022, which will come into force from 1 April 2023 and apply to every manufacturer, producer refurbisher, dismantler and recycler of e-waste.

Status of E-waste in India:

• India is the third-largest e-waste generator in the world after China and the USA (Global E-waste Monitor 2020).
• E-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world
• 95% of e-waste in India is recycled by the informal sector

Key provisions of E-waste (Management) Rules 2022:

• Restricted the use of hazardous substances (such as lead, mercury, and cadmium) in manufacturing electrical and electronic equipment that have an adverse impact on human health and the environment.
• Increased the range of electronic goods categorized as e-waste to 106 (earlier 21):
  • E.g., laptops, mobile, cameras etc.
  • The new rules are not applicable for waste batteries, which are covered under the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022.
  • It is also not applicable for packaging plastics, which are covered under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
  • It also does not apply for micro enterprises and radio-active wastes, which are covered under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 and Atomic Energy Act, 1962 respectively.
• Targets fixed for Producers of electronic goods:
  • To ensure at least 60% of their electronic waste is collected and recycled by 2023 with targets to increase them to 70% and 80% in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
  • Companies will report these on an online portal.
• The rules introduces an Extended Producer Responsibility Framework:
  • Manufacturer, producer, refurbisher or recycler of the e-products need to compulsorily register under this framework.
  • The rule also introduced Extended Producer Responsibility Certificates (similar to carbon credit mechanism) to allow the offsetting of e-waste responsibility to a third party.
• ‘Environmental compensation’
  • To be provided by the companies that don’t meet their target.
• Role of State Governments:
  • They will earmark industrial space for e-waste dismantling and recycling facilities, undertaking industrial skill development and establishing measures for protecting the health and safety of workers engaged in the dismantling and recycling facilities for e-waste.
• Role of Central Pollution Control Board:
  • It shall conduct random sampling of electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market to monitor and verify the compliance of reduction of hazardous substances provisions.

PRACTICE QUESTION

E-waste (Management) Rules 2022 are applicable to which among the following items?

1. Batteries

2. Radio-active wastes

3. Fluorescent lamps

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1,2 and 3

Answer