Reply: The Ministry of Environment and Forests has notified the E Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 on 12 May 2011, which shall come in to force from 1 May 2012.
The medical devices, which were covered earlier in the draft notification of E Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2010, are not included in final notified E Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011.
These Rules lay down responsibilities of producers, collection centers, dismantlers and recyclers.
The concept of extended producer responsibility (EPR) has been enshrined in these Rules. As per these Rules, producers of the electrical and electronic equipment listed in Schedule I, i.e. IT and telecommunication equipment and consumer electrical and electronics (television sets, refrigerator, washing machine, air conditioners), are required to finance, and organize a system to meet the costs involved in the environmentally sound management of e waste generated from the "end of life" of their own products and the historical waste available on the date from which these rules come in to force. Producers are also required to set up collection centres/effective take back system for their "end of life" electrical and electronic equipment covered in these Rules.
The threshold limits prescribed in EU RoHS Directive, which is globally accepted standard for the hazardous substance used in manufacture of electrical and electronics components have been adopted.
