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Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and E-waste in India

E-waste is an issue posing environmental and humanitarian concerns around the world. To manage the e-waste problem, countries like India are stepping up for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) solutions. Here we explore the fundamentals of the India e-waste supply chain, the benefits of e-waste recycling, including the exploration of the India-specific EPR solution, and finally, how TecEx has partnered with the E-Waste Recyclers India (EWRI) to assist in the EPR efforts.

What You Will Learn

What is e-waste?
What is EPR?
What are the benefits of e-waste recycling?
What to consider for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
Collection Mechanism of E-waste.

What is E-waste?

Electronic waste (e-waste) is a term for unwanted, broken, damaged, or obsolete electronic products that have reached the end of their useful life and ultimately get discarded. E-waste also includes rejects from the manufacturing, refurbishment, and repair processes.

Smartphones, laptops, televisions, and similar electronic devices are all considered e-waste. In some cases, bigger items like air conditioners, refrigerators, and washing machines may be considered e-waste depending on their technological makeup. Unlike plastic waste, these modern devices can contain hazardous substances such as lead and mercury. Improper waste disposal of electronic devices can damage the environment and pose considerable health risks.

E-waste also contains many valuable, recoverable materials such as aluminum, copper, gold, silver, plastics, and ferrous metals. To conserve both natural resources and the energy needed to produce new hardware from virgin resources, electronic equipment can be refurbished, reused, and recycled instead of being sent to a landfill. This concept forms a fundamental feature of EPR and e-waste management.

E-waste contains toxic and hazardous substances, including heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium, beryllium, and chemical flame retardants — all of which have the potential to leach into our soil and water. EPR and the correct processing and waste disposal of electronic products have been implemented to minimize the impact of these hazardous materials on our environment.

Both developing and developed countries have an e-waste problem due to consumers improperly disposing of their electronic devices. Instead of keeping old electronics in the house or dumping them in landfills, recycling, or reusing them is an appropriate option that individuals and organizations should support.

Considering the benefits of electronics recycling, it is essential that people around the world embrace this concept by setting up e-waste collections and making the recycling of e-waste easier.

What is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)?

The idea of EPR is centered around producers assuming responsibility for managing the waste generated by their products. While EPR is recognized as an efficient waste management policy to help improve recycling and reduce landfilling, not all governments have implemented EPR initiatives. This concept was presented in the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016, which replaced the E-Waste Management and Handling) Rules, 2011.

India has implemented a mandatory EPR registration Electronic-Electrical Equipment (EEE) and plastic producers. As such, Indian tech businesses are required to engage in some level of e-waste management. EPR has thus evolved to include reverse logistics services for the reuse, recycling, and proper discarding of electronic products, led predominantly by the e-waste collection mechanism.

What are the Benefits of E-waste Recycling?

Conserves Natural Resources

Many materials can be recovered from old electronics. These materials can be used to make new products, thus reducing the need to mine for new raw materials. For instance, various precious metals can be recovered from computer circuit boards and other electronics, and the plastics and glass found in computer monitors and televisions can be recycled.

Supports the Community

Donating your old electronics plays a vital role in providing refurbished products, such as computers and mobile phones, which can greatly help low-income families, schools, and not-for-profit organizations. It also helps individuals access technology they could not have otherwise afforded.

Creates Employment Locally

Considering that around 90% of electronic equipment is recyclable, e-waste recycling can play a significant role in creating employment. The increase in demand for electronics recycling can trigger the formation of new businesses and allow existing firms to employ more people to recover recyclable materials.
E-waste recycling creates new jobs for professional recyclers and a second market for recycled materials.

Helps Protect Public Health and the Environment

E-waste regulations are determined by The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change with implementation procedures provided by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Many electronics have toxic or hazardous substances, such as heavy metals like mercury and lead, which can harm the environment and create health hazards if disposed of improperly. Reusing and recycling electronics safely helps keep hazardous materials from harming humans or the ecosystem. For example, televisions and computer monitors are hazardous as they contain lead. Printed circuit boards (PCB) contain harmful materials such as cadmium, lead, mercury, and chromium. And the list goes on.

Collection Mechanism of E-Waste

TecEx has partnered with the E-Waste Recyclers India (EWRI) for the collection of e-waste on a pan-India basis and disposes of the waste at EWRI’s plant, located at Shed No.15, Roz ka Meo Industrial Area, Nuh, Haryana, India.

EWRI has engaged with reverse logistics service provider Professional Logistics Limited for e-waste collection.

Customers can place their request on the toll-free number 1800-102-5679. The customer may either:

Sell their old electronic products under the TecEx buy-back scheme, or
Our representatives will explain the disposal process to the customer and make them aware of the nearest drop-off point available to hand over the e-waste. India e-waste collection centers are located in popular areas like New Delhi, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and more courtesy of EWRI.

If the customer wants to hand over the e-waste from their doorstep/designated location, EWRI/Professional Logistics Limited will collect the items and channel them to EWRI’s plant for final processing.

Find out more about our IOR services into India.

What to Consider for Extended Producer Responsibility

EPR Dos for Customers

Always look for information in the product’s catalog for instructions on proper disposal.
Ensure that only authorized recycling facilities/dismantlers handle your old electronic products.
Always call our toll-free number to dispose of products, gadgets, batteries, and accessories that have reached their end of life.
Always disconnect the battery from the product and ensure any glass surface is protected against breakage.

EPR Don’ts for Customers

EPR Dos for Customers

Always look for information in the product’s catalog for instructions on proper disposal.
Ensure that only authorized recycling facilities/dismantlers handle your old electronic products.
Always call our toll-free number to dispose of products, gadgets, batteries, and accessories that have reached their end of life.
Always disconnect the battery from the product and ensure any glass surface is protected against breakage.

EPR Don’ts for Customers

Do not dismantle your electronic products on your own.
Do not throw electronics with “Do Not Dispose” signs in garbage bins.
Do not give e-waste to informal and unorganized sectors like local scrap dealers/rag pickers.
Do not dispose of your product in garbage bins along with municipal waste that ultimately reaches landfills.

Now You Know:

India is the third largest producer of e-waste in the world, after China and the United States, and in 2020-2021, India generated 10.14 million tonnes of e-waste.

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