In recent years, the IT and communication industries of India have seen major growth and with this, the use of electronic equipment across the country has also been increased to a great extent. Now, it’s obvious that this has contributed its part to the growing e-waste problem, which already calls for a greater emphasis on recycling and better E-waste management. So, what’s the solution? An E-Waste management certification system is the answer. Let’s start with the definition of E-waste. As per the E-waste (Management) Rules 2022, E-Waste means ‘electrical and electronic equipment, which includes solar photo-voltaic modules/panels/ cells, wholly or in part discarded as waste, as well as rejects from manufacturing, refurbishment, and repair processes.’ In simple terms, E-Waste consists of electronic products that are discarded by the end users. Unorganized processing of this e-waste particularly in developing nations, especially India, is adversely affecting human health, alongside causing pollution of the environment. This leads to the need for E-Waste Management Authorization in the country, which greatly ensures businesses are complying with the government rules and regulations during all the e-waste handling processes, including collection, transportation, storage, treatment, and recycling/disposal. Let’s understand this in a better way.

What is E-Waste Management Authorization?

E-Waste Management is a process, which involves the collection of E-waste, its segregation, transportation, recycling, or disposal, and all this is done with suitable techniques to reduce its adverse impact on the environment and the general public. Efficient and sustainable management of Electrical and Electronic Equipment waste has become of paramount importance, especially today when India is generating lakhs of tonnes of it and not even a 25% of the total is being managed properly. Many times, untreated e-waste gets dumped in open spaces and water bodies, which further worsens the situation. To handle this situation, the Indian government has taken many initiatives, and E-waste management rules are one of them. As per the recently released E-waste (Management) Rules 2022, every entity involved in E-Waste channelization, refurbishing, recycling, or dismantling needs E-Waste Management Authorization from the concerned State Pollution Control Board (Or Pollution Control Committee in case of Union Territories). The primary motive behind this is to improve environmental compliance in the country, and it has yielded significant results as well. 

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The list of factors that make E-waste management authorization significant is pretty long. Below, we have mentioned a few key ones -  

• Generates Income 

Growing E-waste is a massive problem in India today but it also represents a great opportunity for the entrepreneurs of the country. How so? Electronic waste materials are often rich in rare metals which can fetch a great deal of amount in the market and when millions of tonnes of E-waste get processed, the figures it presents get quite lucrative. This is the reason we see hundreds of domestic and international entrepreneurs taking an interest in the E-waste sector and applying for E-waste Certification. 

• Improves Compliance With Regulations and Norms

Everyone may agree that legal fines, next to conscience, are the actual force behind the enforcement of environmental and waste management laws in the country. Complying with them is not optional but a legal obligation for the businesses, whose violation can lead them into legal trouble, or even shut down their activities, and no one would want that, right? With E-waste management authorization, businesses can not only comply with the existing regulations and norms but also put more focus on their activities without worrying about the legal consequences. 

• More Employment Opportunities

The E-waste management sector requires an extensive workforce as it involves several processes and that’s why it is expected to create over a half million employment opportunities in India by 2025. And, we are not saying this out of the air as this figure has been given by the world-renowned International Financial Corporation.

• Protect the Environment and Human Health

When it comes to E-waste management, how can we not include the way it protects the environment and human health? In fact, this was the actual concern because of which the Indian government first brought the waste management rules into the country. With E-Waste Management authorization, the Indian government ensures that businesses handling their EEE (Electrical and Electronic Equipment) waste in compliance with its prescribed regulations and guidelines.

As per the E-Waste Management Rules 2022 that the Indian government released recently, the following are the categories of Electric and Electronic Equipment for which the rules are applicable.

Under the E-waste management rules of the country, there are certain responsibilities that every entity in India to whom these rules apply must fulfill. 

Responsibilities of Recyclers under E-waste Management Authorization

• Registration on the portal of the concerned State Pollution Control Board.
• Ensure the recycling plant and the processes are in compliance with the guidelines prescribed by CPCB in this regard from time to time.
• Hands over the E-waste not recycled in its plant to the respective registered recyclers. 
• Disposal of the residue generated during the E-waste recycling process in an authorized TSDF (Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facility).
• Keep account of all the E-waste collected, dismantled, recycled, and handed over to the registered recycler on the portal and produce these records for verification or audit as and when required. 
• Filing of annual and quarterly returns in the prescribed form on the portal.
• Accept the E-waste materials not listed in Schedule-l of E-waste (Management) Rules 2022 for recycling purposes, only with the condition that they don’t contain any radioactive material. Upload the data regarding the same on the portal.
• Create awareness about E-waste through different means of communication, including media, publications, advertisements, etc.
• Maintain records of the non-recyclable E-waste or any quantity of electronic waste which is not recycled and disposed of. Upload the data regarding the same on the portal.
• Connect with dismantlers to take assistance for recycling purposes. It’s the recycler’s responsibility to ensure proper material flow to and from those dismantlers. The dismantler can hand over the dismantled material back to the registered recycler only and requires to keep track of the same.

Responsibilities of Refurbishers under E-waste Management Authorization

• Get registered on the portal of the concerned pollution control board.
• Collection of E-waste left after the process of refurbishing and giving it to the registered recycler. Provide the information regarding the same on the portal.
• Ensure that the refurbished electronic products meet the requirements of the Compulsory Registration Scheme of MeitY and the standards of BIS laid down for this purpose.
• File annual and quarterly returns in the prescribed form on the portal.

Responsibilities of Dismantlers under E-waste Management Authorization

• Ensure the dismantling facility and the processes conform to the guidelines of CPCB.
• Make sure the storage and transportation of E-waste do not pose any harm to the environment. 
• Segregate the dismantled E-waste and hand it over to the authorized recycling facilities for recovery of materials.
• Hand over the non-recoverable or non-recyclable components to the authorized TSDF (Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facility).
• Keep an account of E-waste collected, dismantled, and handed over to the authorized recyclers and present such records available for verification by CPCB or SPCB.
• File yearly returns in the prescribed form to the State Pollution Control Board.
• Process any e-waste for recovery or refining of materials only for the SPSB-authorized recyclers.  

Responsibilities of Dealers under E-waste Management Authorization

As per the E-waste management rules, ‘Dealers’ are the entities that buy or receive EEE equipment and their components from producers for sale.  

• If the responsibility to collect E-waste lies with a dealer on behalf of the producer, then the dealer needs to provide the consumers with a box, bin, or a certain area to submit E-waste. The dealer can also consider the Take Back system and hand over the collected E-waste to the collection center/dismantler/recycler as designated by the producer.
• Refund the amount as per the take-back system or Deposit Refund Scheme of the producer to the depositor of e-waste.
• Secure transportation of the generated E-waste to the authorized recyclers or dismantlers.
• Make sure the storage and transportation of E-waste do not cause any damage to the environment.

Responsibilities of Collection Centers under E-waste Management Authorization

• Collection of E-waste at the behest of producers, dismantlers, recyclers, or refurbishers, including those generated due to orphaned products. 

Note - Orphan products are products that are non-branded or for which the manufacturer is no longer in business.

• Ensure that the collection center/facility conforms to the standards/guidelines prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board from time to time.
• Collection of E-waste in a safe manner till it is sent over to the authorized recycler or dismantler.
• Make sure the storage and transportation of e-waste do not harm the environment.

Keeps records of the E-waste managed as per the CPCB guidelines and presents these records for inspection by the CPCB or the concerned SPCB as and when required.

The documents required to apply for the E-Waste Certificate can vary as per the type of applicant. 

For E-Waste Recyclers

• PAN and Aadhaar Details of Director/Proprietor/Partner.
• Certificate of Incorporation
• Memorandum of Association
• Articles of Association
• GST Registration
• Business PAN card
• Utility bills, such as electricity or water bills.
• Proof of land and property ownership as per the guidelines of SPCB (Rent agreement, Rent permission, Sales Deed, or Lease Deed)
• MSME certificate, if available.
• Website 
• DPR (Detailed Project Report)

For E-Waste Collection Centre and Dismantler

• All the above-mentioned documents.
• Copies of agreement documents with recyclers (Collection, Logistic & Toll-Free Number)

Corpseed ITES represents not only India’s leading environmental and legal consultancy company but also a vision to improve environmental compliance, inspire confidence, and empower positive change in the entrepreneurs of the country. Today, compliance with the regulations and norms of the Indian laws is mandatory for a business to survive legally, and indeed, that can be quite troublesome for many, because of several reasons such as not having a clear understanding of the country’s laws, absence of the required documents, etc. And here, Corpseed ITES comes into the picture with its team of professionals. To date, we have successfully filed hundreds of E-waste Management Authorizations and served thousands of domestic and International clients. 

How can we help you?

• Site visit for field observation and discussion with the management team and others.
• Gap assessment at the facility as per the waste management rules and guidelines. 
• Provide the templates to keep account of the waste as per the regulations. 
• Preparation of the checklist to be implemented in the facilities. 
• Documents review and preparation as per the requirement for E-Waste Management Authorization
• File annual returns. 

To connect with Corpseed ITES, all you need to do is raise an inquiry on our website or give us a call. Our professionals with years of experience will provide you with a free consultation and solve all the queries you have. With us, you don’t have to worry about anything as we will make everything a piece of cake for you.