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E-waste not in the bin
No
action: Electronic manufacturers yet to set up waste collection centres.
Rules on electronic waste management were notified
in May this year, but several electronics and electric equipment manufacturers
in Delhi have not set up e-waste collection centres yet, say environmentalists.
The e-waste rules mandate Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), under which
manufacturers must collect e-waste generated from their products and recycle
them.
According to rules, collection centres are required to get authorisation from
the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) within three months from the date of
commencement of the rules.
Similarly, recycling plant operators must get authorisation as well as register
with SPCB for better disposal practices.
Disposal of e-waste is a critical issue in India because of rapid technological
advancement and growing dependence on electronics and electrical goods. The
country is saddled with huge toxic waste, estimated to be over 8 million
tonnes, say environmentalists.
According to a study by Toxics Link, e-waste generation is 9,730 tonnes per
year in Delhi alone. The study suggested that the total turnover of the e-waste
chain, with an estimate of 12 processes a year, is Rs 220 crore.
“In Delhi, manufacturers have collection centres but they do not send the
materials for recycling.
This
is the biggest bottleneck as according to the Delhi Master Plan, manufactures
can collect e-waste but not recycle it on the city’s premises,” said Priti
Mahesh, senior e-waste programme coordinator with Toxics Link.
Priti
said the big question is how effective are these rules going to be. Is the
industry ready to roll out an effective e-waste management plan?
Experts say that in the absence of any target or accountability check on
collection and recycling, the rules may not be able to change much on the
ground.
At a recent workshop on e-waste management organised by the Central Department
of Environment and Delhi Pollution Control Committee, chief minister Sheila
Dikshit said that bulk consumers of electrical and electronics equipment will
now have to ensure that e-waste is deposited with authorised collection
centres, given to registered recycling plant operators or sent back to the
producers through pick-up or take-back services.
They will also have to file annual returns in Form 3 to the SPCB before June 30
of every financial year.
While some experts say that EPR is not the best option, Greenpeace believes it
is the only solution. “E-waste is not like domestic waste. It is hazardous. The
main issue is that there is no effective monitoring system,” said Abhishek
Pratap, senior climate campaigner, Greenpeace India.
“E-waste collection in India is largely done through scrap dealers. Also, Delhi
is no more the hub of e-waste material as Moradabad is emerging as the new
hub,” said Pratap.
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