IFRL holds seminar on e-waste management in India

New Delhi [India], June 9 : Indian Federation of Reverse Logistics (IFRL) held a seminar to discuss draft rules related to e-waste management in India. During the seminar, the stakeholders stressed on seamless collection, channelization and segregation mechanism.
A total of 77 PROs and 400 plus dismantlers have started in India since the E-Waste Management Rules 2016 came into being. The proposed Draft E-Waste Rule 2022 does not touch upon the roles and responsibilities of Dismantlers or PROs.
"Extended Producer Responsibility" has been currently defined in the Draft E-Waste Rules for meeting recycling targets only through registered recycler; it is inferred that there is a need for sustaining the integrated reverse value chain comprising consumers, PROs, collection centres, dismantlers to support the producers, importers, Brand Owners and recyclers with quality sourcing, and better collection mechanism across the country - only then can be "better recyclability"
Indian Federation of Reverse Logistics was introduced at a media interaction event during its inauguration at India International Centre, Delhi. The body is a federation of companies active in the reverse logistics domain that seek to develop a green supply chain across the country to facilitate the collection and channelization of e-waste and contribute towards creating a circular economy.
It is widely acknowledged that reverse logistics plays a pivotal role in developing a green supply chain to enable the collection and channelization of electronic scrap from the informal sector and end-consumers for environment-friendly disposal; importantly through the integration of the informal sector (backed by the hub-and-spoke model), extended producer responsibility (EPR) framework, and facilitating innovation.
The Indian Federation of Reverse Logistics, in the presence of different stakeholders, deliberated upon the present scenario and future of PROs, Waste Management Agencies and Dismantlers with respect to existing value chains and operational practices through the lens of the newly drafted E-waste Management Rules 2022 by Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change - Government of India.
It was observed that the newly proposed guidelines under the E-waste management rules waive off the responsibilities or definitions of PROs, Collection Centres, Dismantlers, and Consumer amongst others. Further, the new guidelines seem to consider only the recyclers. This disregards the efforts and investments by organizations engaged in developing a network of structured and formal collection and dismantling centres.
The creation of a circular economy depends on establishing a collection and disposal mechanism that includes the various participants in the value chain, including those in the informal sector, PROs and dismantlers. PROs can continue acting as catalysts in the E-Waste value chain, and help make the developed collection mechanism far more robust and integrated reverse value chain, besides supporting the SPCBs & CPCB in E-waste data inventorization, capacity building exercises aimed at promoting collections from residential colonies, dealers, retailers, bulk consumers, households, office clusters, and the informal sector.
Dr. Vijai Singhal, Retd. CEE, RPCB graced the occasion and said, "The rapidly rising quantities of e-waste pose a significant threat to human health and the environment, and necessitate urgent steps towards a circular economy. Building a circular economy depends on several aspects, the key being decreased depletion, consumption and disposal of natural resources, efficient use of existing resources, the inclusion of various stakeholders to create a green value chain, and ensuring that activities sought to drive the circular economy turn into major drivers of job creation and economic growth. With respect to the domain of electronics, these aspects could help create new opportunities in processing, repairing and remanufacturing secondary materials, the services sector, and the circular economy as a whole."
Nisha Banth, Spokesperson, Indian Federation of Reverse Logistics, said, "A combination of effective regulations and responsible behaviour by society could go a long way in curbing the e-waste menace and helping create a circular economy. Regulations form the basis for the development of a circular economy, laying down clear guidelines for responsibilities and courses of action in the domain. The set of regulatory norms seeks to define and regulate societal and business relations with respect to the circular economy.
She further said, "With natural resources steadily depleting and current consumption patterns questioned, laws are being increasingly sought to create a circular economic model aiding sustainable economic development. While several nations across the globe are engaged in developing a circular economy through legal confirmation, India is also looking to modernize legislation to encourage a circular economy. However, it is important to consider the efforts and investments by organizations such as PROs engaged in developing a network of structured and formal collection and dismantling centres, and regulations must seek to support such bodies so that these may help producer organizations fulfil their responsibilities and facilitate the e-waste management process."