5/26/2016

PayconsumerstotakebackewasteTheHindu

OPINIONEDITORIAL

March28,2016

Payconsumerstotakebackewaste
ThenewrulesproposedbytheMinistryofEnvironmentandForeststomanageelectronicwastemustbeimplementedwithfirmpoliticalwill
toclosethegapbetweengrowingvolumesofhazardoustrashandinadequaterecyclinginfrastructure.Indiageneratesabouteightlakh
tonnesofewasteannually,while151registeredrecyclingfacilitiescanhandleonlyhalfofthatquantum.Therearenosystematicstudieson
Indiaswastegeneration,aproblemthatisprobablymuchbiggerthancommonlybelieved.Producersandconsumersofelectronicgoodshave
aresponsibilityundertheEwaste(ManagementandHandling)Rules2011toensureproperdisposal,butprogresshasbeenslowforvarious
reasons.NowtheEwaste(Management)Rules2016provideseveraloptionstomanufacturerssuchascollectionofarefundabledeposit
andpayingforthereturnofgoodstomeettherequirementsoflaw.Consumersarenaturallykeenonrecoveringeconomicvaluefrom
waste,creatingathrivinginformalrecyclingsector.Theseunitsusecrudemethodssuchasopenburningtoextractcopper,lead,aluminium
andiron.StudiesdoneatinformalrecyclersnearNewDelhishowthatconcentratedacidsareusedinanopenairenvironmenttoremove
copperfromprintedcircuitboardsthecorrosivechemicalsarethendischargedintosurroundinglands.Severalcitiesaresimilarlypolluted.
Thisisanunsustainablecourse,especiallyatatimewhenrapidobsolescenceofelectronicgoodsisthenorm.TheEnvironmentMinistrymust
workcloselywiththeStatestoimplementthetighterrules.
Inspiteofitsgrowingenvironmentalfootprint,soundmanagementofelectronicwastehasreceivedlowpriority.Urbansolidwaste
managementpolicyhasfocussedoncleaningstreetsandtransferringgarbagetolandfills,ignoringthelegalobligationtosegregateand
recycle.Hazardousmaterials,includingheavymetals,aredumpedingarbageyards,pollutingsoilandwater.Thenewruleshavepositive
measuresinthisregard:theyclassifymercuryladenlightbulbsasewaste,whichwillkeepthemoutofmunicipallandfills.Bulkconsumers
havetofileannualreturns,anotherwelcomemove.Anawarenesscampaignonewastewillmakeiteasiertoimplementtherules.Often,
consumersdonotletgoofdefunctgadgets.OneU.S.studyshowedthatonaverageahouseholdkeepsfoursmallandtwolargeewaste
articlesinbasementsandattics.SeveralIndianhouseholdsalsostockewasteitems.Thesuccessofthenewruleswilldependonincentivising
suchconsumerstoentertheformalrecyclingchannelusingtheproduceroperatedbuybackscheme.Theywillcomeonboardwhenthe
repurchaseofferisbetterthanthatoftheunorganisedsectorandacollectionmechanismisavailable.TheCentreandtheStateshavea
responsibilitytoensurethatproducerscontributetotheewastemanagementsystem,whichhasbeendesignedwiththeirinputs.The
collectiontargets,thatwilltouch70percentinsevenyears,arerealistic.Ahealthyenvironmentdemandsthatthetargetsgetmore
ambitious.

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