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Designing Take back Systems for E-Waste
Source: Toxics Link, Date: , 2012
E- Waste, one of the fastest growing
waste segments globally, is of significant concern on account of high volumes
and toxic material content. E-waste also contains valuable non-renewable
materials; hence the necessity to recycle waste and reduce burden on mining of
virgin materials. Some of these complexities and concerns for environment
created conditions for the policy-makers in many parts of the world to involve
the producers / product manufacturers to own responsibility for the end of life
disposal of these products and introduction of a policy tool âExtended Producer
Responsibilityâ (EPR).
There is a need to understand some of
the systems currently operational in many other countries and then analyze and
identify those fundamentals that can be suitably adopted in Indian conditions.
This brings us to some key questions of what kind of Take back system will work
in India; how do we decide the scale of such collection system; do we
need to have different models for different product groups and how to gather
the right data to monitor and improve the take back system.
Toxics Link explored these questions
and tried to come up with some solutions with the help of national and
international experts. The day long workshop on 11th December, 2012 tried to
bring together stakeholders from all over the world to discuss the existing
take back models and possible options for India.
Ms.Priti Mahesh, Senior Programme
Coordinator, Toxics Link said, âEPR was globally chosen for environmentally
safe management of waste. We were hoping that EPR will improve waste flows and
bring forth transparency in the system & induce quality recycling. However
even 18 months after that rules have been notified we have inadequate
collection system, no sonsumer initiative, lack of proper recycling
infrastructure, low consumer awareness, inadequate information on take-back in
the public domain and no transparency.â
The crisis on E-waste in India is
deepened due to prevalent unscientific recycling in the unorganized sector.
Improper handling and disposal of this toxic waste led the policy-makers to
come up with a separate e-waste rules which was notified in 2011 and came into
force on 1st May 2012. E-waste (Management & Handling) Rules 2011, based on
EPR principle, has not made any significant change on the ground in the past
six months.
Joao
Cravinho, Ambassador and Head of
Delegation, Delegation of the European Union of India said, âE-waste in India
requires careful handling particularly in the downstream channel. EU has come a
long way in E-waste handling and India may take an example from EU. India
should adopt a more transparent and harmonized system. As most of the E-waste
collection in India is done by the informal sector and thus much of E-waste
collection and handling is happening in uncontrolled manner having serious
issues of leaching out of toxics and health hazards. Despite the E-waste management
and handling rules India is still unclear about the historical waste, its
responsibility and the mechanisms required for handling them.â
India is facing a serious challenge as,
in spite of the emergence of recycling infrastructure, we continue to struggle
in adopting a sustainable waste Collection mechanism. This could be due
to lack of knowledge and capacity on economically feasible and sustainable
models suited to the India conditions. Collection or take back systems have
been one of the most challenging tasks in implementation of E-waste Rules in
developed and developing countries. The policy makers and implementers have
been analyzing and engaging with various models globally to draw in the bulk
consumers and the individual consumers in the system and to ensure high
compliance. The presence of a large informal sector
in India further complicates this system, posing serious challenge in creation
of clean waste channels.
Sanjiv Kumar, IAS, Chairperson,
Delhi Pollution Control Committee said, âBy this time kids must have thrown
away their mobiles, laptops etc. and it must have gone to the informal sector.
We need to think about the issue which is going to become a bigger challenge
day by day.âIn order to understand some of the systems currently operational in
other countries and to analyze those fundamentals that can be suitably adopted
in India conditions, Toxics Link proposes to explore and come up with some
solutions with the help of National and International experts. The
international workshop on âDesigning Take Back Systems for E-wasteâ on 11th
December 2012 at India Habitat Centre (IHC), Lodhi Road, New Delhi endeavors to
bring together all stakeholders on one platform and discuss the various take
back models possible for India.
Satish
Sinha, Associate Director,
Toxics Link said, âDesigning a take-back system is a serious flaw in India and
there are huge gaps which needs to be dealt with and requires concrete
mechanisms.âThe other eminent speakers were:
B.Vinod Babu (Scientist âDâ& Scientist âDâ & Incharge, Hazwaste
Division, Central Pollution Control Board), Lars Ekland, Advisor, Swedish
Environmental Protection Agency, Federico Magalini, E-waste Academy Project
Manager, United Nations University, Anwar, Shipurwala, Executive Director, MAIT,
Silje Johannessen, Advisor, Climate and Pollution Agency, Norway, DK Behera,
Senior Enviornmental Scientist, Odisha State Pollution Control Board, Raphael
Veit, Managing Director, Sagis Ltd.
B. Vinod
Babu explained that there were various models being practiced in other
countries which could be adopted in India as well.
More than
100 members from MoEF, Central Pollution Control Board, State Pollution Control
Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Corporates like Canon, HP,
Whirlphool, Hitachi, Samsung, Del, Mait, Teri, Tes-AMM, Ricoh, Green vortex and
bulk user companies, prominent recyclers in the region shared and actively
participated during the sessions.
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