Panel begins framing e-waste disposal rules

With electronic and electrical waste (e-waste) emerging as the new by-products of fast economic growth, the Union environment ministry is framing rules that pin the responsibility for disposal on the producer. Eleven recycling units are expected to come up soon to take over from the unorganised sector, which currently handles this hazardous waste in the most primitive manner.

Of the 50 million tonnes of e-waste generated globally, about 400,000 tonnes is from India, the bulk of it from television sets. “The concern is, it is growing at a rate of 10-15 per cent annually in India, whereas the global rate of growth is 3 per cent,” said Ravi Agarwal, Director, Toxics Link, a non-government working on hazardous waste. “At present, 97 per cent of this waste is being recycled in the unorganised sector.”

A four-member committee has been set up to frame the rules which are expected to be notified under the Environment Protection Act (EPA) by the middle of the year, ministry sources said. Penalties for flouting the rules will be prescribed under the EPA. The committee comprises K P Nyati of the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries, Vinnie Mehta of the Manufacturers Association for Information Technology, Purnamita Dasgupta of the Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi, and a representative from the Central Pollution Control Board.

A study by the Electronics Industries Association of India estimates the country has accumulated 380,000 tonnes of electronic waste, expected to go up to 800,000 tonnes in the next four years. “Obsolescence rates are increasing and people are discarding electronic equipment faster than before,” ministry officials said.

The waste contains some precious metals such as gold and copper, thus making it a profitable industry. It also contains at least 51 hazardous elements and compounds, such as lead, mercury and arsenic. Presently, this waste is extracted with bare hands in the unorganised sector, posing serious health and environmental concerns.

One recycling unit in the formal sector has already been set up at Roorkee. There are plans to set up more in Bangalore, Mumbai and other major cities. However, Agarwal said, there is also a need to make “clean products” that do not use toxic substances. It’s already happening in the western countries and even China has a law against using these hazardous substances. In India, he said, the highest quantity of lead is in cathode ray tubes.

Also, he said, the government needs to ensure good collection mechanisms are set up which provide job opportunities to existing workers and take the hazardous parts to the formal units. As for implementation, Agarwal said, the country will need to experiment with two or three systems. A bunch of producers could get together or it could be individual-based. ''Our model here is very different. In the West, people have to pay for recycling . In India, people will not throw away an old computer but expect a charge for it. We can do it. It’s still profitable for us.”

The committee comprises KP Nyati of the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries, Vinnie Mehta, manufacturer’s Association for Information Technology, Purnamita Dasgupta, Institute of Economic Growth and a representative from the Central Pollution Control Board.