{"id":73140,"date":"2026-05-06T18:29:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T12:59:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=73140"},"modified":"2026-05-06T18:30:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T13:00:11","slug":"e-waste-management-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/06-05-2026\/e-waste-management-india","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s e-waste Management"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Environment\/Waste Management<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2019s Paryavaran NITI Manthan conference revealed that <strong>6.2 million tonnes of e-waste was generated in FY24.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India generated<strong> 6.2 million tonnes of e-waste in FY24,<\/strong> projected to <strong>more than double to 14 million tonnes by 2030.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Formal recycling capacity<\/strong> remains <strong>limited <\/strong>to around 2 million tonnes, leaving a <strong>vast gap between generation and processing.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As a result, only about <strong>10% of e-waste is formally recycled<\/strong>, far below global benchmarks.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>E-waste contains<strong> nearly 33% metals,<\/strong> including precious and critical minerals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The total economic value embedded in India\u2019s e-waste is estimated <\/strong>at Rs 51,000 crore, of which Rs 30,600 crore is technically recoverable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is E-Waste?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>E-waste refers to <strong>discarded electrical and electronic devices<\/strong> such as computers, circuit boards, mobile phones, and appliances.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It contains hazardous materials like <strong>lead, mercury, cadmium, and brominated flame retardants.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improper disposal leads to<strong> soil contamination, water pollution, and health hazards.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>India\u2019s E-Waste Scenario<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India ranks as the <strong>third-largest<\/strong> producer of electronic waste globally, following <strong>China and the United States.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>According to the Global E-waste Monitor, <\/strong>E-waste generation in India has increased from<strong> ~2.76 MMT in 2020 to ~6.19 MMT in 2024 <\/strong>and is projected to reach 14 MMT by 2030.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Computer equipment<\/strong> accounts for the largest share of the E-waste stream (65%), followed by <strong>large appliances and medical equipment (15%),<\/strong> telecom equipment (12%), and <strong>consumer electronics (8%).\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges in E-Waste Management<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Rapid Growth of E-Waste:<\/strong> The fast pace of technological advancement and short product life cycles leads to a continuous rise in e-waste generation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dominance of Informal Sector:<\/strong> In India, <strong>90\u201395%<\/strong> of e-waste is processed by the informal sector, using unsafe methods such as acid leaching and open burning, causing severe pollution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Inadequate Infrastructure:<\/strong> Limited number of authorized collection centres,\u00a0 recycling units, poor logistics and weak reverse supply chains hinder effective waste collection.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Poor Tracking:<\/strong> Lack of reliable data on quantity generated and recycling rates enables leakages into informal channels.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Impact of Improper E-Waste Management<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Water Pollution:<\/strong> Toxic discharge from cyanide and sulphuric acid affects water bodies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Air Pollution: <\/strong>Emissions from lead fumes and plastic burning are severe.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Soil Contamination: <\/strong>Hazardous substances leach into the soil, damaging agriculture and biodiversity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Economic Loss: <\/strong>India is estimated to forfeit over <strong>\u20b980,000 crore<\/strong> worth of critical metals each year, which could have been recovered and re-used in manufacturing.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is estimated that India loses at<strong> least $20 billion<\/strong> annually in potential tax revenue due to the absence of formal accounting and regulatory oversight in the e-waste recycling sector.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Initiatives for E-Waste Management in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR):<\/strong> Producers, importers, and brand owners are made responsible for managing their product\u2019s end-of-life waste.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>An online EPR E-Waste portal <\/strong>has been developed by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) where entities such as producers, manufacturers, recyclers, and refurbishers of the e-waste are required to be registered.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change<\/strong> has comprehensively revised the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 and notified the <strong>E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India&#8217;s first e-waste clinic was<\/strong> inaugurated in <strong>Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It&#8217;s a facility for segregating, processing, and disposing of e-waste from both households and commercial units.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Ministry of Mines launched a <strong>Pan-India E-Waste Recycling Drive as part of Special Campaign 5.0<\/strong> (in 2025), aimed at promoting Swachhata in government offices and ensuring scientific disposal and resource recovery from electronic waste.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>Basel Convention<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Basel Convention is a <strong>global treaty aimed at controlling the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes<\/strong> and their disposal, ensuring that such wastes are managed in an environmentally sound manner.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It mandates:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Prior informed consent of importing countries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Environmentally sound management of hazardous waste.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Return of illegal waste shipments at the exporter\u2019s expense.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It was adopted in <strong>1989 <\/strong>and entered into force in <strong>1992.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India is a party<\/strong> to the Basel Convention.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2019s e-waste challenge reflects a broader conflict between technological advancement and environmental sustainability.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As the country climbs the digital ladder, it must not let toxic waste undermine its economic and ecological foundation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The goal should not merely be to manage e-waste, but to extract value, protect health, and foster green economic growth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.downtoearth.org.in\/waste\/rs-51000-crore-worth-of-materials-in-indias-e-wastemost-slips-through-the-system\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>DTE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> India\u2019s Paryavaran NITI Manthan conference revealed that 6.2 million tonnes of e-waste was generated in FY24. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> About <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> India generated 6.2 million tonnes of e-waste in FY24, projected to more than double to 14 million tonnes by 2030.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Formal recycling capacity remains limited to around 2 million tonnes, leaving a vast gap between generation and processing.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/06-05-2026\/e-waste-management-india \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73140"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73140\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73142,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73140\/revisions\/73142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}