In India, there are no specific environmental laws or guidelines for E-waste. None of the existing environmental laws have any direct reference to electronic waste or refer to its handling as hazardous in nature. However several provisions of these laws may apply to various aspects of electronic wastes. Since WEEE / E-waste or its residues fall under the category of ‘hazardous” and “non hazardous waste”, they shall be covered under the purview of “The Hazardous Waste Management Rules, 2003” and “The Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000”.

Respective definitions, their meaning and interpretation under these two rules are given below:

The Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2003

The Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000

Source: Central Pollution Control Board