The Hindu Business Line : ‘Let producers charge e-waste levy on buyers’

New Delhi, April 9 Forget haggling over a discount; you may have to fork out an extra something while buying an electronics item, in future. The new guidelines released by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on management of e-waste have suggested that producers of electronic and electrical equipment should be allowed to levy an ‘appropriate fee’ on the product at the point of sale, to facilitate the operation of a ‘take back system’ for collection and recycling of such equipment at the end of a product lifecycle.

As of now the new guidelines are “voluntary”; but they represent the first step towards providing a direction or a guidance for identification of e-waste, and prescribing procedures for handling of such waste. In other words, the guidelines are reference document for management, handling and disposal of e-waste.

The guidelines have also called for manufacturers’ direct involvement in establishing a ‘take back system’ with an individual or collective responsibility. “Individual model requires each producer to be responsible for managing e-waste generated by their products. The producer shall announce a ‘take back’ system. The e-waste inventory, currently estimated at 1.46 lakh tonnes, is expected to cross eight lakh tonnes by 2012. E-waste comprises wastes generated from used electronic devices and household appliances such as computers, cell phones, stereos, refrigerators and air conditioners.

MAIT welcomes move

Welcoming the e-waste norms, Mr Vinnie Mehta, Executive Director of hardware association MAIT, said, “Although voluntary in nature, we expect the IT industry in India to come forward and comply with these directions, especially those for Extended Producer Responsibility and for Restriction on Usage of Hazardous Substances (RoHS). It is also essential that the users of IT products come forward to support this movement by giving their end-of-lifecycle IT equipment only to authorised recyclers.”