'e-waste' means electrical and electronic equipment, whole or in part, discarded as waste by the consumers or bulk consumers, as well as rejects from manufacturing, refurbishment and repair processes;

(As per E-waste (management) Rules, 2016)

i) Information technology and telecommunication equipment :

• Centralized data processing: Mainframes, Minicomputers
  
• Personal Computing: Personal Computers (Central Processing Unit with input and output devices
  
• Personal Computing: Laptop Computers (Central Processing Unit with input and output devices)
  
• Personal Computing: Notebook Computers)
  
• Personal Computing: Notepad Computers
  
• Printers including cartridges
  
• Copying equipment
  
• Electrical and electronic typewriters
  
• User terminals and systems
  
• Facsimile
  
• Telex
  
• Telephones
  
• Pay telephones
  
• Cordless telephones
  
• Cellular telephones
  
• Answering systems
  

• Television sets (including sets based on (Liquid Crystal Display and Light Emitting Diode technology
  
• Refrigerator
  
• Washing Machine
  
• Air-conditioners excluding centralized air conditioning plants
  
• Fluorescent and other Mercury containing lamp
  

4 Rs - Reduce, Reuse, Refurbish and Recycle
Smart procurement and proper maintenance will help in reduction of thee-waste creation. Reuse the still-functioning electronic equipment by donating or selling it to someone. Refurbishing/upgrading the existing gadgets will reduce creation of e-waste. Recycle those components that cannot be repaired. Most electronic devices contain a variety of valuable metals/materials, which can be recycled.

Hazardous compounds such as lead, cadmium, mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), etching chemicals, and brominated flame retardants are found in some e-waste components. To avoid environmental contamination due to these hazardous substances, e-waste should be treated in an environment-friendly manner. E-waste is not harmful in and of itself. However, improper processing of e-waste generates toxic materials such as poly-halogenated compounds, dioxins, furans and other persistent organic pollutants and hence it is dangerous. Therefore, recycling of the e-waste requires rigorous and environmentally sound recovery methods.

E-waste should not be given to unauthorized vendors / buyers. The respective Pollution Control Boards in different states authorize agencies to collect e-waste from e-waste generators. This authorization is given based on the competency of the recycler, infrastructure and other factors as decided by the regulatory authorities. The dealers should have valid authorization. Click here for the list of authorized agencies is available.

Electronic waste containing toxic chemicals and metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury, which when disposed in landfills, gain entry into surrounding soil, groundwater and ultimately end in humans. In addition, improper processing of e-waste causes toxicity. Informal processing of electronic waste in general poses serious health and pollution problems.

Electrical/electronic waste contains hazardous but also valuable and scarce materials. Up to 60 elements can be found in complex electronics. Recycling raw materials from end-of-life electronics is the most effective solution to the growing e-waste problem.

Environmental and social benefits of reuse include diminished demand for new products and virgin raw materials (with their own resultant environmental issues); larger quantities of pure water and electricity for associated manufacturing; less packaging per unit; availability of technology to wider swaths of society due to greater affordability of products; and diminished use of landfills.

The relevant rules governing the e-waste generation, collection, transportation, dismantling and recycling are contained in the ?E-waste (Management) Rules 2016 as amended in 2018. The details may be found in: Ewaste_Rules.pdf (hspcb.gov.in)

If managed correctly, the materials that make up old electronics can be recycled safely and securely and converted into new base commodities that can be put back into productive use in a new device or product. Common materials include base ferrous metals (steel), non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, lead and copper, precious metals such as gold, silver and palladium, many families of plastics, glass and rubber. Hazardous materials can also be safely recovered and recycled including mercury and lead. Rare and critical elements such as Indium, Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel and rare-earth elements can be extracted from e-waste.

All data received from customers in any media form (hard drives, tape, discs) is wiped out using the Department of Defense Media Sanitization (DoD 5220.22-M) method. Confidentiality and safe destruction of the data are the responsibilities of the dismantlers/recyclers. DoD Media Sanitization | Standards & Guidelines ? DestructData, Inc.

RoHS is the acronym for Restriction of Hazardous Substances. RoHS, also known as EU Directive 2002/95/EC, originated in the European Union and restricts the use of specific hazardous substances found in electrical and electronic products.

The substances that are restricted under RoHS are lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), hexavalent chromium (Cr6+), polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDE). Cd is restricted to < 100 ppm whereas other substances are restricted to <1000 ppm limit.

The restricted substances when improperly managed pose threat to the environment. These substances may also represent an occupational hazard during manufacturing and recycling. The EU RoHS Directive applies to equipment as defined in the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive.

One of the main objectives of CoE on E-waste management is Skill development to startups, SMEs, entrepreneurs, students, informal sector etc. The E-waste managed by unregulated informal sector results in significant risks of toxic exposures to the recyclers. This could, in a few cases, be life threatening. The CoE, through proper training and awareness programs, envisions creating an army of Green Warriors who would be a part of the refurbishing chain, and will contribute towards successful implementation of measures to control e-pollution in a safe and standardized way.