E-waste denotes waste electrical and electronic equipment, whole or in part or rejects from their manufacturing and repair process which are intended to be discarded and broadly comprises of discarded computer monitors, motherboards, mobile phones and chargers, compact discs, headphones, Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT), Printed Circuit Boards (PCB), televisions and so on.

E-waste typically consists of metals, plastics, cathode ray tubes (CRTs), printed circuit boards, cables, and so on. Valuable metals such as copper, silver, gold, and platinum could be recovered from e-wastes, if they are scientifically processed. The presence of toxic substances such as liquid crystal, lithium, mercury, nickel, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), selenium, arsenic, barium, brominated flame retardants, cadmium, chrome, cobalt, copper, and lead, makes it very hazardous, if e-waste is dismantled and processed in a crude manner with rudimentary techniques. E-waste poses a huge risk to humans, animals, and the environment. The presence of heavy metals and highly toxic substances such as mercury, lead, beryllium, and cadmium pose a significant threat to the environment even in minute quantities.

International treaties such as Basel Convention aim at reducing and regulating the movement of hazardous waste between nations. Even with the Convention, illegal shipment and dumping of e-wastes continue to take place. It is estimated that 50 million tones of e-waste was generated globally in 2018. The rate at which the e-waste volume is increasing globally is 5 per cent to 10 per cent yearly. Switzerland is the first country in the world to have established and implemented a formal e-waste management system that has recycled 11 kg/capita of e-waste against the target of 4 kg/capita set by the European Union (EU).

China, Peru, Ghana, Nigeria, India, and Pakistan are the biggest recipients of e-waste from industrialized countries (Mmereki, et al., 2016). The Basel Action Network (BAN) aims to ensure that e-waste is dealt with in an environment-friendly manner. It safeguards the planet from toxic waste trade. The BAN, Silicon Valley Toxic Coalition (SVTC), and Electronics Take-Back Coalition (ETBC) constitute an associated network of environmental advocacy NGOs in the US. The three organizations’ common objective is to promote national-level solutions for hazardous waste management.

E-Waste Legislation in India:

India is the only country in the South Asian region with e-waste legislation. Prior to the enactment of the E-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011; e-waste was covered under the Hazardous Waste Management (HWM) Rules. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1986, the E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 were enacted and became effective from 1st May 2012. These Rules were brought into force to enable recovery and/or reuse of useful material from e-waste, thereby reducing the hazardous wastes destined for disposal, to ensure the environmentally sound management of all types of e-waste and to address the safe and environment friendly handling, transporting, storing, and recycling of e-waste. For the first time, the concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) was introduced which made manufacturers liable for safe disposal of electronic goods.

Thereafter, the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 were enacted in supersession of the 2011 Rules and came into effect from 1st October 2016. A manufacturer, dealer, refurbished and Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) were also brought under the ambit of these Rules. PRO is a professional organization authorized or financed collectively or individually by producers, which can take the responsibility for collection and channelization of e-waste generated from their products to ensure environmentally sound management. An option was given for setting up of a PRO as an additional channel for implementation of EPR by Producers.

2018 Amendment to the E-Waste Management Rules and its impact:

The E-Waste Management Rules, 2016 have recently been amended by the Centre; vide notification G. S. R. 261 (E), dated 22nd March 2018 to facilitate and effectively implement the environmentally sound management of e-waste in India. These amendments have been made with the objective of channelizing the e-waste generated in the country towards authorized dismantlers and recyclers to further formalize the e-waste recycling sector.

There are five key components that need to be linked together for improving e-waste management. These are

1) providing market information regarding e-waste prices;

2) incentivizing formal e-waste recycling;

3) upskilling informal sector players;

4) deploying readily available and mature recycling technologies; and

5) developing innovative methods and technologies for processing new forms of e-waste.

It is fact that the e-waste generation is increasing amazingly fast due to obsolescence of the electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). People either store the obsolete equipment in their home or sell it to the local  collectors  for  monetary  benefits.

In India, the amount of E-waste generated is rising rapidly. With the increasing dependence on electronic and electrical equipment, the rise of E-waste generation is well expected in the country. However, the management of the same is a major challenge faced by the country. Indians are still to realize the associations between the cause of generation of E-waste and its effects including detrimental health and environmental effects.