{"id":336573,"date":"2025-05-13T20:21:11","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T14:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=336573"},"modified":"2025-05-19T11:31:12","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T06:01:12","slug":"india-must-manage-rising-e-waste-with-urgency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/india-must-manage-rising-e-waste-with-urgency\/","title":{"rendered":"India must manage rising e-waste with urgency"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source<\/strong>: The post India must manage rising e-waste with urgency has been created, based on the article \u201cIndia<\/strong>\u2019<\/strong>s rising e-waste, the need to recast its management<\/strong>\u201d published in \u201cThe Hindu<\/strong>\u201d on 13 May 2025. India must manage rising e-waste with urgency.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"India<\/p>\n

UPSC Syllabus Topic:<\/strong> GS Paper 3-Environment and Bio-diversity Conservation<\/p>\n

Context<\/strong>: India\u2019s push toward becoming a developed nation is driven by digital expansion and rising electronics use. But this growth has caused a steep rise in e-waste, demanding urgent reforms in pricing and policy to avoid environmental damage and social harm.<\/p>\n

For detailed information on New e-waste rules and India<\/strong>\u2019<\/strong>s e-waste challenge<\/strong> read this article here<\/a><\/p>\n

Rising E-Waste in a Digitally Driven Economy<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Rapid Growth of E-Waste: <\/strong>India\u2019s e-waste increased by 151% in six years \u2014 from 7.08 lakh metric tonnes in 2017\u201318 to 17.78 lakh metric tonnes in 2023\u201324. The annual increase now stands at 1.69 lakh metric tonnes.<\/li>\n
  2. Technology as a Double-Edged Sword: <\/strong>Widespread use of electronic items like phones, laptops, and medical tools drives progress but also produces vast amounts of e-waste, demanding proper systems to manage it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Consequences of Poor E-Waste Management<\/strong><\/h2>\n
      \n
    1. Environmental Hazards: <\/strong>Toxic substances such as cyanide and sulphuric acid pollute water, while lead fumes, open coal burning, and plastic incineration damage air and soil. These practices degrade soil and threaten ecosystems.<\/li>\n
    2. Social Impact on Informal Workers: <\/strong>Informal recycling is done mainly by women and children. Their exposure to toxic materials reduces life expectancy to under 27 years. The estimated annual social loss from such practices exceeds $20 billion.<\/li>\n
    3. Economic Losses from Informal Sector: <\/strong>India loses \u20b980,000 crore annually in critical metals due to crude extraction methods. Another $20 billion is lost in tax revenue because most informal recycling remains unrecorded and cash-based.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): A Key Policy Tool<\/strong><\/h2>\n
        \n
      1. Concept and Benefits: <\/strong>EPR mandates that producers, importers, and brand owners take responsibility for waste from their products. It supports sustainable design, pricing reform, and shifts burden away from municipalities.<\/li>\n
      2. Shifting Away from Informality: <\/strong>Since 95% of e-waste is handled informally, EPR aims to redirect waste to certified channels, improving health outcomes and accountability.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Introducing Floor Price: Ensuring Market Stability<\/strong><\/h2>\n
          \n
        1. Fair Pricing for Recyclers: <\/strong>The E-waste (Management) Rules, 2022 introduced a floor price for EPR certificates. It ensures stable returns for formal recyclers and prevents market collapse.<\/li>\n
        2. Boost to Safe and Modern Recycling: <\/strong>A fixed price encourages investment in clean technology. It improves recovery of metals like gold and copper, reducing landfill and pollution.<\/li>\n
        3. Correcting Informal Cost Advantage: <\/strong>Floor pricing balances the cost gap between formal and informal sectors. It strengthens compliance, reduces leakage, and encourages certified processing.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Countering Concerns and Driving Innovation<\/strong><\/h2>\n
            \n
          1. Addressing Cost Criticism: <\/strong>Some argue that floor pricing may raise product prices. But the cost of inaction\u2014pollution, health crises, and lost materials\u2014is far greater than the minor impact on consumer pricing.<\/li>\n
          2. Encouraging Sustainable Product Design: <\/strong>Producers can reduce costs by designing longer-lasting, recyclable products. Globally, EPR fees are higher than India\u2019s floor price, aligning with best practices.<\/li>\n
          3. Learning from Plastic Sector Failure: <\/strong>The plastic sector\u2019s underpricing led to fake recyclers and loss of trust. Floor pricing prevents such risks in e-waste and supports real innovation.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            A National Vision for Sustainable Recycling<\/strong><\/h2>\n
              \n
            1. Linking Economy and Ecology: <\/strong>Weak pricing harms rivers, soil, crops, and communities. Fair valuation of recycling can reverse damage and promote responsible practices.<\/li>\n
            2. Formalising the Sector for Future Growth: <\/strong>A stable price can transform e-waste into a national resource. It allows India to build infrastructure, ensure compliance, and lead global sustainability efforts.<\/li>\n
            3. A Call for Urgent Action: <\/strong>A 73% surge in e-waste over five years signals a crisis. With a strong floor price, India can balance development with environmental safety.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Question for practice:<\/strong><\/p>\n

              Examine<\/strong> how the introduction of a floor price under the E-waste (Management) Rules, 2022 can promote formal recycling and reduce environmental and economic losses in India.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Source: The post India must manage rising e-waste with urgency has been created, based on the article \u201cIndia\u2019s rising e-waste, the need to recast its management\u201d published in \u201cThe Hindu\u201d on 13 May 2025. India must manage rising e-waste with urgency. UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 3-Environment and Bio-diversity Conservation Context: India\u2019s push toward becoming… Continue reading India must manage rising e-waste with urgency<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10320,"featured_media":337267,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1230],"tags":[59,216,10498],"class_list":["post-336573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-9-pm-daily-articles","tag-environment","tag-gs-paper-3","tag-the-hindu","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/India-must-manage-rising-e-waste-with-urgency.png?fit=1280%2C850&ssl=1","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/336573","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10320"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=336573"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/336573\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/337267"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=336573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=336573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=336573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}