Legal Aspects of E- Waste Management in India: A Study

People of this 21st century always tempt to change their electronic goods with their newer model within less than 6 months span and this is all thanks to new trendy gadgets coming into the market every month. Its okay, you are purchasing a new one but what about the old ones. Throwing them into the dustbin is not the proper idea of disposing them. It is leading to the growing piles of e-waste which creates problems mainly for the ecology and directly or indirectly for the living beings around there through air, water and soil pollution. Thus it becomes mandatory to control this hazardous situation so that it will not convert into uncontrollable. Thus, for avoiding this kind of scenario, Government of India has laid down various rules, regulations and policies. Through this paper, we will throw light on them and include some amendments for more effectiveness of them.

The biggest challenge in resolving any social problem is the non-compliance of rules & regulations in the society. A lot of scientific legislation has come up in India as well in recent times. With effect from May, 2012 E-Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011 came into effect and these rules entail environmentally sound management of e-Waste. E-waste management implies that all the required steps have been taken to ensure the management and disposal in such a manner that it does not affect the health of human beings and the environment adversely due to undesirable effects of hazardous substance contained in such e-wastes. These rules also necessitate the manner of collection, transportation, storage, dismantling and recycling of such e-waste. But all good said and done on paper still requires to be put into practice. Being the fastest growing refuse problem in the world, the e-waste junk stream is growing at a rate of 20% per year. By 2010 India had about 75 million computers and the base is expected to grow to 140 million computers by 2013 end. Computer equipment accounts for almost 68% of e-waste material, followed by telecommunication (12%), electrical (8%) and medical equipment (7%) and household e-crap (5%). All these are no more accessories of the society but necessity. It is a gigantic task to convince the society to follow strict rules in usage, management & disposal of e-products. An e-Waste Inventory Management system needs to be put into place. The process should be a combination of manual and mechanical dismantling, size reduction, segregation, dust collection as well as sending hazardous waste for final disposal and precious metal bearing components for refining or recycling. Entire system should be based on the principles of clean environment and zero landfill. Hazardous substances recovered during the process of recycling of e-waste should be disposed off through the CHWTSDF, authorized by the Pollution Control Board in the prescribed manner. This paper is intended to offer a practical, scientific, safe and environmentally apt model system for implementation of E-waste Regulations in India. Common but differential roles have been proposed at all levels of e-waste management. Keywords--legislation, recycling, CHWTSDF, e-inventory, Human health.

IJRASET, 2021

Digitalization influenced by rapid technological development causes the increase of the utilization of electronic gadgets globally. This virtual world is growing rapidly due to the reinforcement of online platform under the current scenario of COVID 19 pandemic that restricts the physical interaction of people. The increase of the use of electronic equipment and the inclination of consumers towards the latest and upgraded model of gadgets are the main reasons for expanding the volume of e waste which becomes a major concern for the environmental scientists and policy makers. These large volumes of e wastes are handled unscientifically by the informal sectors in most parts of the world due to the lack of enforcement of the e waste management policy leading to the exposure towards toxic pollutants and poisonous metals that ultimately results in serious physical as well as behavioral disorders. The open combustion of plastic materials and landfilling of e waste also cause the air pollution, soil pollution and contamination of ground water.

Electronics industry is one of fastest growing manufacturing industry in India. But the increase in sales of electronic goods and their rapid obsolescence has resulted in generation of electronic waste, which is popularly known as e-waste. The e-waste has become a matter of concern because of the presence of toxic and hazardous substances present in electronic goods and if not properly managed, it can have adverse affects on environment and human health. In India, the e-waste market is mostly unorganized and companies are neither registered nor authorized and operate informally. At most of the places e-waste is treated as municipal waste because India does not have any dedicated legislation for management of e-waste. Currently, ewaste handling is regulated under "The Hazardous Materials (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movements) Rules, 2008". However, there are some companies which are authorized by government for the scientific and environmental friendly management and treatment of e-waste. But due to the involvement of unorganized sector in management of e-waste, there is improper handling of e-waste due to involvement of unskilled workers and absence of adequate technologies. Moreover, companies are more focused on financial profits rather than social or environmental concerns. Hence, there is strong need to adopt sustainability practices to tackle the growing threat of ewaste. This paper reviews e-waste generation, e-waste management scenario in India, global sustainability practices and sustainability issues in management of e-waste due to personal computers (PCs) and mobile phones.

During the last few decades, scientist and diplomats were concerned about the pollution caused from municipal solid waste but from the last few years there has been resurgence concern on the electronic waste (E-waste). E-waste is one of the fastest-growing pollution and it is becoming more and more complicated day by day globally. A limited attempt has been made to handle the E-waste. The whole world including developed and developing country like India and China face the E-waste management problem. According to international and national agencies of India like IAER, UNO and CAG,CPCB and ELCINA mentioned in their report that 400 million e-waste generated all over the world till 2010 and 20-50 MT are disposed off every year. According to ELCINA; 4.34 lakh tones e-waste generated till 2012; and 0.800 MT/day generated in India. Only 10 states and just 65 cities of India produced 70% of total e-waste of India. The developing countries are facing huge challenges in the management of e-waste which are either internally generated or imported illegally. E-waste from the American continent, European Union and Australia import to China, India and other Asian country illegally. Indian is one of the largest waste importing countries in the world in the form of cheap raw material. According to Indian customs department, every year 50,000 tons of e-waste imported from European Union (Germany, Netherlands, and Denmark) illegally. So the country like India is needed to change in attitude of www.ssijmar.in

international journal of engineering trends and technology, 2014

From last two-three decades, the global market of industrial and electronic equipment is changed and continues to grow exponentially all over the world. With these grows, electrical and electronic waste management is growing in same manner. Developing countries face tremendous problem which are related to the generation and management of E-Waste which are either from import or export illegally. There are a large number of harmful materials which containing toxic substances that can have an adverse impact on health and the environment. It is the global problem; if it is not handled decently within time; then the global world is affected. In India, E-Waste management presumes the major problem. This problem is not only generated from its own E-Waste but also the import dumping materials from other developed countries. The purpose of this article is to focus the issues and impact of this emerging problem. It is also required to sharpen on private and government agencies to do needful s...

2015

In developing country like India E-waste management is being reckoned as a challenging task due to unplanned discarding of E-waste along with municipal solid waste. A “systematic & scientific” trade chain of E-waste is essential to manage the present scenario both in terms of environmental protection and health perspective. The prevalence of informal E-waste handling in India has put forward several issues of concern (metals, plastic, informal recycling) that need to be addressed to protect environment and human health. One of the important aspects of current informal handling of E-waste is its recycling to minimize exposure level. However, it needs skillful protocol (formal handling) to ensure the implementation of policy. Legal frame work is another essential part that will also help in E-waste management even in grass root level. A comprehensive E-waste management plan is also needed to improve disposal practice (recycling, landfill, and reuse) to reduce the magnitude of exposure...

Electronic waste or E-waste comprises of old, end-of-life electronic appliances such as computers, laptops, TVs, DVD players, refrigerators, freezers, mobile phones, MP3 players etc. which have been disposed of by their original users. E-waste contains many hazardous constituents that may negatively impact the environment and affect human health if not properly managed. Various organizations, bodies and governments of many countries have adopted and/or developed the environmentally sound options and strategies for E-waste management to tackle the ever growing threat of E-waste to the environment and human health. This paper presents E-waste composition, categorization, Global and Indian E-waste scenarios, prospects of recoverable, recyclable and hazardous materials found in the E-waste, Best Available Practices (BAP), recycling and recovery processes followed and their environmental and occupational hazards. Based on the discussion various challenges for E-waste management particularly in India are delineated, and needed policy interventions were discussed. Key Words: E-waste management, best available practices, environmental and health impact, developing countries

India is a developing country and is having world's second largest population after china. The present growth rate of 4.7 percent of GDP and achieved growth of 8 percent during eleventh five year plan from 2007 to 2012. As per this growth rate needs and lifestyle of Indian people changes continuously. Due to a huge revolution in technology there is advancement in every sector. The electronic and communication market is also booming in India. Electronic waste or E-waste is relatively a novel addition to the ever-growing hazardous waste stream. The manufacturing of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) is one of the emerging global activities. The main factors identified to be responsible for the increased consumption and productions of electrical and electronic equipment are rapid economic growth, coupled with urbanization and industrialization. Developing countries are facing enormous challenges related to the generation and management of E-waste which are either internally generated or imported illegally; The Indian Information Technology (IT) sector is one of the major contributors to the global economy. At the same time, it is responsible for the generation of the bulk of E-waste or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) in India. Although the global E-waste problem has been able to attract attention across the world, not much emphasis has been given to the E-waste engendered in developing countries. Developing countries like India, today, is burdened with the colossal problem of E-waste which is either locally generated or internationally imported, causing serious menace to human health and environment. The hazardous components in electrical and electronic equipment are a major concern during the waste management phase. In the context of India, recycling of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment is not undertaken to an adequate degree. However, the existing management practices related to E-waste in India are reasonably poor and have the potential to risk both human health and the environment. Moreover, the policy level initiatives are not being implemented in an appropriate way. The austere problem of E-waste along with its policy level implications is looked upon in the paper. During the course of the study it has been found that there is an urgent need to address the issues related to E-waste in India in order to avoid its detrimental future consequences on environment as well as health of human population. The purpose of the review was to improve understanding of electronic waste (e-waste) and the effect on health and the environment on a global scale. The review involved examining data and policies of governmental,

Mukt Shabd Journal, 2020

This present study is aims to identify the various issues and practical difficulties in electronic waste management in India at present period. The Basel Action Network (BAN) which works for prevention of globalization of toxic chemicals has stated in a report that 50 to 80 per cent of e-waste collected by the US is exported to India, China, Pakistan, Taiwan and a number of African countries. This is done because cheaper labor is available for recycling in these countries. And in the US, export of e-waste is legal. E-waste recycling and disposal in China, India and Pakistan are highly polluting. Of late, China has banned import of e-waste. In India, recycling of e-waste is almost entirely left to the informal sector, which does not have adequate means to handle either the increasing quantities or certain processes, leading to intolerable risk for human health and the environment. The current practices of e-waste management in India encounters many challenges like the difficulty in ineffective regulations, wretched and insecure conditions of informal recycling, poor awareness of consumers and reluctance on part of the stakeholders to address the issues.

During the last few decades scientist and diplomats were concern about the pollution caused from municipal solid waste but from the last few years there has been resurgence concern on the electronic waste (E-waste). E-waste is one of the fastest-growing pollution and it is becoming more and more complicated day by day globally. A limited attempt has been made to handle the E-waste. The whole world including developed and developing country like India and China face the E-waste management problem. According to international and national agencies of India like IAER, UNO and CAG, CPCB and ELCINA mentioned in their report that 400 million e-waste generated all over the world till 2010 and 20-50 MT are disposed off every year. According to ELCINA 4.34 lakh tonnes e-waste generated till 2012 and 0.800 MT/day generated in India. Only 10 states and just 65 cities of India produced 70% of total e-waste of India. The developing countries are facing huge challenges in the management of e-waste which are either internally generated or imported illegally. E waste from the American continent, European Union and Australia import to China, India and other Asian country illegally. Indian is one of the largest waste importing countries in the world in the form of cheap raw material. According to Indian customs department, every year 50000 tonnes of e-waste imported from European Union (Germany, Netherlands, and Denmark) illegally. So the country like India is needed to change in attitude of governments, appropriate legislation dealing specifically with e-waste, control of electronic waste dumping, implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) and transfer of technology on sound recycling of e-waste are the key issues in effective management of e-waste in developing countries

In recent decades, the use of electronic and electrical devices has increased significantly, leading to rapidly rising amounts of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).Electronics industry is considered as the world‟s largest and fastest growing manufacturing industry. The electronic devices reach at the end of their useful life: they become a waste (e-waste) of waste Electrical and electronics equipment (WEEE). „e-waste‟ is a term used to describe old, end-of-life electronic appliances such as computers, laptops, TV‟s, radios, refrigerators etc., which have been discarded by users. Increased consumption of electrical and electronic equipment due to its utilization in the day to day life of individuals has indirectly explained the increase in the generation of e waste. The management of e waste has become an environmental concern in many developing countries as urbanization continues to take place. The current practices of e-waste management in India suffer from a number of drawbacks like unhealthy conditions of informal recycling, inadequate legislation, and poor awareness. India is facing the problem of e-waste management due to lack of awareness among people about dangerous effect of e-waste on environment and human being through informal e-waste collection and absence of implementation of rules for the process of ewaste in environment friendly manner. This paper focuses on the current status of e waste in India, problems associated with e waste, e waste handling practices, strategies and rules for handling e waste. The aim of this paper is also to identify the attitude of consumers towards e waste handling practices, e waste disposal and e waste recycling in some areas of Aurangabad City (Maharashtra).

isara solutions, 2022

E-waste is one of the fastest growing problems which pose a serious threat to the public health. India is the 3 rd largest producer of electronics waste, or e-waste, in the world after China and the United States. India generates 3230 (KT) of e-waste in 2019. Following the current growth rate of e-waste, it is estimated that India generates 5 million tonnes by 2021. E-Waste in India has emerged as a public health challenge as the disposal and recycling of e waste methods are unscientific though regulations are in vogue. Although the Indian Government introduced its dedicated e-waste management policy, less than 5% of e-waste in India is recycled through formally regulated units. The informal sector handles the rest with rudimentary methods without considering the environmental and health implications either for workers or public. Several research studies show a substantial risk to workers involved including women and children and also for public residing near the sites of recycling. Studies indicate that chemicals in e-waste such as lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium have serious health impacts on almost every organ in the human body. It creates a massive threat to the environment and health in India. This paper reviews studies that provide evidence for the association between exposure to e-waste and adverse health problems and discusses the existing regulations and e-waste management methods to address this rapidly growing problem.

2020

E-waste is commonly termed as electronic waste. These wastes comprise of TVs, MP3 players, DVDs, mobile phones, laptops, etc. Hazardous materials are released due to this which harms the environment and affects human health. Currently, many countries are facing problems due to the generation of e-waste which has drawn attention to minimize it with the help of new methods. Lack of awareness and resources are the main cause behind e-waste management in India. Harmful toxic materials set foot into the waste materials which harms human health as well as environment. At the same time, wastage of material goods takes part when profitable materials are disposed and unhealthier ambience are risen due to natural recycling. With the help of this paper, best current assessment methodologies are discussed for e-waste management considering global and social scenario, recycling and recovering process, environmental and occupational hazards.