E-Waste Management Rules 2016

E-waste refers to the garbage that is generated from electric appliances, involving their components, spares, and consumables. There are two main sources that contribute to producing a huge amount of e-waste, including information technology and communication equipment and consumer electrical and electronics. The e-waste types produced from these sources can be further categorised into 21 subtypes. Read E-Waste Management Rules 2016.

E-Waste Management Rules 2016 - Overview

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) published a record specifying the fact that over 10 lakh tonnes of e-waste have been generated in India in the year 2019-20. Back in 2018, the e-waste production range was under 7 lakh tonnes. To facilitate the effective disbursement process of e-waste to recyclers or dismantlers, India's Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued the E-Waste Management Rules 2016.

The initiative's purpose was to reduce the vast amount of e-waste produced. The first e-waste clinic in India is situated in Bhopal, Madhyapradesh. The main functions of the e-waste clinic include the separation, processing, and destruction of the e-waste collected from different sectors.

E-Waste Management Rules 2016 - Rules and Regulations

The rules and regulations issued by the E-Waste Management Rules 2016 have made the producers accountable for picking up the e-waste and also channelising it for exchange purposes. This process is called "Extended Producer Responsibility" (EPR). The producers have also been encouraged to maintain a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO), providing the scope for the removal of e-waste in a sustainable manner.

The government of India has also taken the initiative to motivate the state governments to hire skilled and certified professionals to carry out the deconstruction and recycling process of e-waste. Municipalities and corporations have been delegated the responsibility of gathering the e-waste from different sources and distributing it to the designated dismantlers or recyclers.

E-Waste Management Rules 2016 - Key Facts

The E-Waste Management Rules, 2016 were promulgated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and they replaced the E-Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011.

A total of 21 products (Schedule-I) were covered under the ambit of the e-waste management rule, 2016. It featured compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), as well as other mercury-containing bulbs and devices that play a major role in polluting the environment.

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The Deposit Refund Plan was launched under the purview of the e-waste management rule, 2016. This plan is an additional financial mechanism. The plan enables the producer to charge an additional amount as a downpayment at the time of purchase of electrical gadgets and electronic appliances. They also revert it back to the consumers with interest when the end-of-life electronic devices are handed back to the producers or sellers.

It can be concluded that the government's initiative to minimise e-waste is admirable and can play a game-changer for the betterment of the environment. The E-Waste Management Rules 2016 have also introduced the provision of penalties for the breach of agreements.

FAQs on E-Waste Management Rules 2016

Q1. What is the duty of consumers under the E-Waste Management Rules 2016?

The E-Waste Management Rules 2016 require the customers to perform some dutiful activities to ensure hassle-free and proper channelisation of the e-waste developed by them. It requests consumers to assure that the e-waste is accumulated by a certified authority. The government also wants consumers to redirect the e-waste to authorised recyclers to minimise its negative effects.

Q2. Who introduced the e-waste management rules of 2016 in India?

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India has launched the E-Waste Management Rules 2016 to ensure optimal channelisation of e-waste to recyclers or dismantlers. The motto of the initiative was to reduce the massive quantity of e-waste production.

Q3. What are the rules and regulations of the e-waste management rules of 2016?

As per the motto of the E-Waste Management Rules 2016, the aim was to eradicate 30 per cent of e-waste generation in the first two years. Furthermore, it was decided that the rate of eradication would be amplified in the following years by 40 and 50 per cent. The final goal was set to achieve 70 per cent of e-waste elimination by the seventh year of the plan's implementation.

Q4. When were the E-Waste Management Rules 2016 launched in India?

The E-Waste Management Rules 2016 of India rolled out on March 23rd, 2016.