4th May, 2012
India’s new E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2011 have come into effect from 1st of May 2012. The new rules which put an additional burden on the manufacturers were notified last year on 12th of May and a period of one year was given for the industry to prepare itself for the new regime.
As per the new rules, e-waste covers not only waste electrical and electronic equipments but also rejects from their manufacturing and repairing processes. Manufacturers or producers of the specified electrical or electronic equipments are now liable under the ‘extended producer responsibility’ clause [Rule 4(2)]. This means producers of such goods will be responsible for their products beyond manufacturing i.e. until environmentally sound management of products’ end-of-life. Producers have to not only ensure that such e-waste is channelized to registered dismantler or recycler but also check collection and channelization by authorized collection agencies.
While producers, collection centers, bulk consumers are required to maintain records, all of them including dismantlers and recyclers, except consumers/bulk consumers have to file annual return before the State Pollution Control Board. The rules also list other responsibilities of collection centers, bulk consumers, dismantlers and recyclers.
Consumers including bulk consumers cannot dump e-waste in the garbage bins but have to ensure that the same is channelized to authorized collection centers/registered dismantlers/recyclers. The provisions specifically exclude batteries, micro and small enterprises and radio-active wastes from its ambit.
India’s new E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2011 have come into effect from 1st of May 2012. The new rules which put an additional burden on the manufacturers were notified last year on 12th of May and a period of one year was given for the industry to prepare itself for the new regime.
As per the new rules, e-waste covers not only waste electrical and electronic equipments but also rejects from their manufacturing and repairing processes. Manufacturers or producers of the specified electrical or electronic equipments are now liable under the ‘extended producer responsibility’ clause [Rule 4(2)]. This means producers of such goods will be responsible for their products beyond manufacturing i.e. until environmentally sound management of products’ end-of-life. Producers have to not only ensure that such e-waste is channelized to registered dismantler or recycler but also check collection and channelization by authorized collection agencies.
While producers, collection centers, bulk consumers are required to maintain records, all of them including dismantlers and recyclers, except consumers/bulk consumers have to file annual return before the State Pollution Control Board. The rules also list other responsibilities of collection centers, bulk consumers, dismantlers and recyclers.
Consumers including bulk consumers cannot dump e-waste in the garbage bins but have to ensure that the same is channelized to authorized collection centers/registered dismantlers/recyclers. The provisions specifically exclude batteries, micro and small enterprises and radio-active wastes from its ambit.