• Electronic waste, or e-waste, refers to all items of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and its parts that have been discarded by its owner as waste without the intent of re-use. E-waste is also referred to as WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), electronic waste or e-scrap in different regions and under different circumstances in the world. It includes a wide range of products – almost any household or business item with circuitry or electrical components with power or battery supply. The definition of e-waste is very broad and covers six waste categories:
  • Temperature exchange equipment, more commonly referred to as cooling and freezing equipment. Typical equipment includes refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, heat pumps. 
  • Screens, monitors. Typical equipment includes televisions, monitors, laptops, notebooks, and tablets. 
  • Lamps. Typical equipment includes fluorescent lamps, high intensity discharge lamps, and LED lamps. 
  • Large equipment. Typical equipment includes washing machines, clothes dryers, dish-washing machines, electric stoves, large printing machines, copying equipment, and photovoltaic panels.
  • Small equipment. Typical equipment includes vacuum cleaners, microwaves, ventilation equipment, toasters, electric kettles, electric shavers, scales, calculators, radio sets, video cameras, electrical and electronic toys, small electrical and electronic tools, small medical devices, small monitoring and control instruments.
  • Small IT and telecommunication equipment. Typical equipment includes mobile phones, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), pocket calculators, routers, personal computers, printers, telephones.

Effects of E-waste

• The ill effects of e-waste could be on soil through leaching of hazardous contents from landfills; in water due to contamination of rivers, wells and other water sources; in air due to emission of gases and burning of e-waste.
• The recycling process, if not carried out properly, can cause damage to human being through inhalation of gases during recycling, contact of the skin of the workers with hazardous substances and contact during acid treatment used in recovery process.

The hazardous and toxic substances found in e-waste:

• Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in printed circuit boards (PCBs). Lead is primarily found in all electronic products/ assembly, cathode ray tubes (CRT) etc. Cadmium is found in monitor/ CRTs while there may be mercury in switches and flat screen monitors. Mercury is also found in CFL, relays and some other specific products. Besides the cadmium in computer batteries, cadmium is also used for plating metal enclosures/ metal parts in sub assemblies. Polychlorinated biphenyls are found in capacitors and transformers and as brominated flame retardant on printed circuit boards, plastic casings, cable and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cable sheathing for insulation and PBD/PBDE in plastic parts of electronics.

Steps to minimise e-waste

• Re-evaluate. Do you really need that extra gadget? Try finding one device with multiple functions.
• Extend the life of your electronics. Buy a case, keep your device clean, and avoid overcharging the battery. 
• Buy environmentally friendly electronics. Look for products labeled Energy Star or certified by the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT). 
• Donate used electronics to social programs—and help victims of domestic violence, children safety initiatives, environmental causes, and more.
• Reuse large electronics.
• Recycle electronics and batteries in e-waste recycling bins located around campus. Large electronics can go in the larger bins found in your building.

Indian Scenario

In India, among top ten cities, Mumbai ranks first in generating e-waste followed by Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmadabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Surat and Nagpur. The 65 cities generate more than 60% of the total generated ewaste, whereas, 10 states generate 70% of the total e-waste.

Legislative Measure 

• The E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 provide for compulsory registration of the recycling units and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued guidelines/Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) for processing of e-waste. The CPCB and State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) have been monitoring the units and necessary steps have been taken to mainstream and modernise the recycling industry with the help of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. 
• The E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 also provide for recognition and registration, skill development, monitoring and ensuring safety and health, of workers involved in dismantling and recycling of e-waste. 
• Under the E-Waste Management Rules, provision for reduction of hazardous substances in manufacturing of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) has been provided. It mandates that every producer of EEE and their components shall ensure that their products do not contain lead, mercury and other hazardous substances beyond the maximum prescribed concentration.
• Under the said Rules, the responsibility of disposal of e-waste in a scientific and environmentally sound manner has been assigned to Producers of notified Electrical & Electronic Equipment (EEE) as listed in Schedule – I of the said rules under the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Under EPR regime producers of EEE, have given annual e-waste collection and recycling targets based on the generation from the previously sold EEE or based on sales of EEE as the case may be.
• The compliance monitoring is done through Action Plan developed by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for enforcement of E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 in the Country. The major action points include identification of Non-EPR Authorization producers, State/UT wise inventorization of e-waste, verification of system provided by producers for e-waste channelization, verification of facilities of dismantlers/recyclers, drives for checking informal activities, formulation of State Level Committee for monitoring implementation of rules and mass awareness activities etc. Under the action plan, monitoring and compliance of producers are ensured through Sate Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees. Further, under the existing rules, provisions are in place for action against the companies who are violating the said rules.

Indian Enforcement Agencies involved in E-waste

• Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change is responsible in identification of hazardous wastes and provides permission to exporters and importers under the Environment (protection) Act, 1986.
• Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) was constituted under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. CPCB coordinates activities with the State Pollution Control Boards and ensures implementations of the conditions of imports. It also monitors the compliance of the conditions of authorization, import and export and conduct training courses for authorities dealing with management of hazardous wastes and to recommend standards for treatment, disposal of waste, leachate and specifications of materials and recommend procedures for characterization of hazardous wastes. 
• State Pollution Control Boards (SPCB) constituted under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 to grant and renew authorization, to monitor the compliance of the various provisions and conditions of authorization, to forward the application for imports by importers and to review matters pertaining to identification and notification of disposal sites.
• Directorate General of Foreign Trade constituted under the Foreign Trade (Development & regulation) Act 1992 to grant/ refuse licence for hazardous wastes prohibited for imports under the Environment (protection) Act, 1986. 
• Port Authorities and Customs Authorities under the customs Act, 1962 verify the documents and inform the Ministry of Environment and Forests of any illegal traffic and analyze wastes permitted for imports and exports and also train officials on the provisions of the Hazardous Wastes Rules and in analysis of hazardous wastes.
• The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) is the certifying authority for permitting imports of second-hand goods.