India churns out about 400,000 tons of e-waste annually of which only 19,000 tons is getting recycled, according to MAIT. According to a report by the Center for Science and Environment (CSE), India generates 3,50,000 tons of electronic waste every year and additionally imports another 50,000 tons.
Where does it all go?? In the absence of regulation, most of it has been dumped or recycled in most unhygienic ways. But now things may change in India. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has come out with some new proposals that will go into effect in May 2012. The MoEF has put the onus of recycling e-waste squarely on the producers.
The producers would now be held accountable for the entire lifecycle of products and would also have to take initiatives to introduce changes in product design and technology for the efficient and environmentally friendly treatment and disposal of the same.
The regulation becomes important considering that consumption of electronic devices for work and entertainment has been on the rise. According to MAIT's recent estimates, sales of personal computers including desktops, notebooks and netbooks were expected to cross 12.6 million units during 2011-12 and TRAI estimated that India had 851.7 million mobile phones.
Many of these products contain various toxic substances such as cadmium, lead, mercury and polybrominated diphenyl ethers. Exposure to these substances can cause a range of health effects from kidney damage to impaired development of the central nervous system.
But as with many regulations, mere laws will not work unless implemented and monitored strictly. Hopefully we can breathe easy in days to come.
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