The Environment Ministry has amended its e-waste management rules to facilitate and effectively implement the environmentally sound management of e-waste in the country.
Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan said the amendment to the E-waste (Management) Rules has been done with an objective of channelising the e-waste generated towards authorised dismantlers and recyclers, in order to formalise the e-waste recycling sector.
"The government has amended the e-waste (Management) Rules in a move to facilitate and effectively implement the environmentally sound management of e-waste in India," he said.
He said the collection targets under the provision of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in the rules have been revised and targets introduced for new producers who have started their sales operations recently.
Under the new rules, Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) will apply to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for registration to undertake activities prescribed in the Rules.
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PROs are a kind of third party paid by the producer for used-product management.
Under the amendment, the e-waste collection targets under EPR have been revised and will be applicable from October 1, 2017.
"The phase-wise collection targets for e-waste in weight shall be 10 per cent of the quantity of waste generation as indicated in the EPR Plan during 2017-18, with a 10 per cent increase every year until 2023.
"After 2023 onwards, the target has been made 70 per cent of the quantity of waste generation as indicated in the EPR Plan," an official statement said.
Under the amendment, separate e-waste collection targets have been drafted for new producers, those producers whose number of years of sales operation is less than the average lives of their products.
The average lives of the products will be as per the guidelines issued by CPCB from time to time, the statement said.
"Under the Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) provisions, cost for sampling and testing shall be borne by the government for conducting the RoHS test.
"If the product does not comply with RoHS provisions, then the cost of the test will be borne by the producers," the statement added, while elaborating about the features of the amended rules.
The E-Waste Management Rules 2016 have been amended via notification on March 22.
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