Recycling has gone up in last 5 years, but 67% of e-waste remains unprocessed

Several agencies, including the United Nations, have said that untreated e-waste also ends up in informal industries where children are employed to dismantle electronics. Exposure to chemicals such as lead and mercury can adversely affect children’s growth and development.

According to the data provided by the ministry, in 2021-22, of the 16,01,155 tonnes of e-waste generated, 5,27,131 tonnes (32.9 per cent) were recycled. In 2020-21, 26.33 per cent of e-waste was processed, while in 2019-20, the figure stood at 22.07 per cent. It was 21.35 per cent in 2018-19 and 9.79 per cent in 2017-18.

The data also shows that in 2021-22, Haryana collected and processed the largest amount of e-waste at 2,45,015.82 tonnes. It is pertinent to note, however, that the data provided by the ministry in response to a question in the Rajya Sabha on December 15, 2022, did not include data from all the states and Union Territories.

A 2020 report by the Global E-Waste Monitor notes that India has the highest e-waste generation in South Asia. It is also the only country in the region to have laws on the collection and disposal of e-waste. The report states, “Legislation in India has been a driver for the setting up of formal recycling facilities… However, formal recycling capacity remains underutilised, as the large majority of the waste is still handled by the informal sector.”

The Centre for Science and Environment has called the informal sector “the backbone of e-waste recycling in India”, as it reportedly handles 90 per cent of the country’s e-waste. A 2020 report by Greene, an initiative by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, acknowledges that the “most formidable” challenge to e-waste management is in the informal sector. In its vision for 2030, the report suggests regulating the informal sector through legislation, robust data collection and an online portal for transparency.

The government’s new rules in e-waste management will take effect on April 1. These rules restrict the manufacturing of electronic components that contain hazardous substances such as lead and mercury beyond the maximum prescribed concentration. They also provide for the “recognition and registration, skill development, monitoring and ensuring safety and health, of workers involved in dismantling and recycling of e-waste”, the ministry has said.

The E-Waste (Management) Rules 2022, which are set to replace the 2016 rules, make it mandatory for every manufacturer, producer, refurbisher and recycler to register on an online portal developed by the Central Pollution Control Board. They also increase from 21 to 106 the number of pieces of electrical and electronic equipment that come under the rule’s ambit.