The Hazardous Waste (Management and handling) Rule, 2003, defines “hazardous waste” as any waste which by reason of any of its physical, chemical, reactive, toxic, flammable, explosive or corrosive characteristics causes danger or likely to cause danger to health & environment, whether alone or when on contact with other wastes or substances, and shall include:

Waste substances that are generated in the 36 processes indicated in column 2 of Schedule I & consist of wholly or partly of the waste substances referred to in column 3 of same schedule.

• Waste substances that consist wholly or partly of substances indicated in five risks class (A, B,C,D,E) mentioned in Schedule 2, unless the concentration of substances is less than the limit indicated in the same Schedule.
• Waste substances that are indicated in Lists A and B of Schedule 3 (Part A) applicable only in cases of import and export of hazardous wastes in accordance with rules 12, 13 and 14 if they possess any of the hazardous characteristics listed in Part B of schedule 3.
• “Disposal” means deposit, treatment, recycling and recovery of any hazardous wastes.

Important features of Schedule 1, 2 and 3, which may cover E-waste are given below:

Schedule 1

Although, there is no direct reference of electronic waste (e-waste) in any column of Schedule 1 (which defines hazardous waste generated through different industrial processes), the “disposal process” of WEEE/E-waste could be characterized as hazardous processes on the basis of industrial process that generate hazardous waste.

The indicative list of these processes is given below:

• Secondary production and/ or use of Zinc
• Secondary production of copper
• Secondary production of lead
• Production and/ or use of cadmium and arsenic and their compounds
• Production of primary and secondary aluminium
• Production of iron and steel including other ferrous alloys (electric furnaces, steel rolling and finishing mills; coke oven and by product plan)
• Production of asbestos or asbestos containing materials
• Production of plastic raw materials
• Production or industrial use of materials made with organo silicon compounds
• Electronic industry
• Waste treatment processes, e.g. incineration, distillation, separation and concentration techniques

As per these regulations, once a waste product is classified as hazardous according to industrial process listed in Schedule 1, it is exempted from the concentration limit requirement set by Schedule 2 of Act, and is considered hazardous irrespective of its concentrations.

Schedule 2

The Schedule 2 of the Hazardous Waste Management and Handling Rules 2003, lists waste substances which should be considered hazardous unless their concentration is less than the limit indicated in the said Schedule. The various classes of substances listed in this Schedule relevant to E-waste are covered in Class A, B, C, D and E are given below. E-waste or its fractions coming broadly under Class A and B are given below:

Class A: Concentration Limit: >= 50 mg/Kg

The indicative waste list, which could be part of E-waste or its fractions under this class are given below:

• Antimony and antimony compounds
• Beryllium and beryllium compounds
• Cadmium and cadmium compounds
• Chromium (VI) compounds
• Mercury and mercury compounds
• Halogenated compounds of aromatic rings, e.g. polychlorinated biphenyls, polychloroterphenyls and their derivatives
• Halogenated aromatic compounds

Class B: Concentration Limit: >= 5,000 mg/Kg

The indicative waste list, which could be part of E-waste or its fractions under this class are given below:

• Cobalt compounds
• Copper compounds
• Lead and lead compounds
• Nickel compounds
• Inorganic tin compounds
• Vanadium compounds
• Tungsten compounds
• Silver compounds
• Halogenated aliphatic compounds
• Phenol and phenolic compounds
• Chlorine
• Bromine
• Halogen- containing compounds, which produce acidic vapors on contact with humid air or water

Schedule 3

List of Hazardous Waste to be applicable only for imports and exports are mentioned in schedule 3. It define hazardous waste as “Wastes listed in lists ‘A ‘ and ‘B ‘ of part A of schedule 3 applicable only in case(s)of export/import of hazardous wastes in accordance with rule 12, 13, and 14 only if they possess any of the hazardous characteristics in part B of said schedule”. This clause defines hazardous waste for the purpose of import and export. It has divided hazardous waste into two parts, A and B. Part A of the schedule deals with two lists of waste to be applicable only for imports and exports purpose. Export and import of items listed in List A and B of part A are permitted only as raw materials for recycling or reuse.

Electronic Waste and Related Items listed in part A, Lists of wastes applicable for Import and Export:

Following are the electronic items being mentioned in list A:

A1180 “Electrical and electronic assemblies or scraps containing components such as accumulators and other batteries included on list B, mercury-switches, glass from cathode ray tubes and other activated glass and PCB-capacitors, or contaminated with schedule 2 constituents (e.g. cadmium, mercury, lead, polychlorinated biphenyl)to an extent that they exhibit hazard characteristics indicated in part B of this schedule.(See B1110)”.

A1090 Ashes from the incineration of insulated copper wire.

A1150 Precious metal ash from incineration of PCBs not included on list ‘B ‘

A2010 Glass waste from cathode ray tubes and other activated glass.

A3180 Wastes, substances and articles containing, consisting of or contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and including any other poly brominated analogues of these compounds, at a concentration level of 50 mg/kg or more.

Following are electronic items placed on list B :

• Electronic assemblies consisting only of metals or alloys
• Waste Electrical and electronic assemblies scrap (including printed circuit board, electronic components and wires) destined for direct reuse and not for recycling or final disposal.
• Waste electrical and electronic assemblies scrap (including printed circuit boards) not containing components such as accumulators and other batteries included on list A, mercury switches, glass from cathode ray tubes and other activated glass and PCB- capacitors, or not contaminated with constituents such as cadmium, mercury, lead, polychlorinated biphenyl) or from which these have been removed, to an extent that they do not possess any of the constituents mentioned in Schedule 2 to the extent of concentration limits specified therein.
• Electrical and electronic assemblies (including printed circuit boards, electronic components and wires) destined for direct reuse and not for recycling or final disposal.

Source: Central Pollution Control Board