“Municipal Solid Waste” includes commercial and residential wastes generated in municipal or notified areas in either solid or semi-solid form excluding industrial hazardous wastes but including treated bio-medical wastes.

“Disposal” means final disposal of municipal solid wastes in terms of the specified measures to prevent contamination of ground-water, surface water and ambient air quality.

” Processing” means the process by which solid wastes are transformed into new or recycled products;

“Recycling” means the process of transforming segregated solid wastes into raw materials for producing new products, which may or may not be similar to the original products

“Storage” means the temporary containment of municipal solid wastes in a manner so as to prevent littering, attraction to vectors, stray animals and excessive foul odour.

Proposed Definition

The analysis of hazardous waste rules 2003 and municipal waste rules 2000 with respect to the three drivers describing the E-waste definition is given in table below:

Table: E-waste reference in Indian regulations with respect to identified drivers

Schedules 1, 2 and 3 of the Hazardous Wastes Rules, 2003 show that ambit of these sub clauses is so comprehensive that it will cover each steps of E-waste ‘disposal” starting from dismantling, recycling and extraction of metals and import and export. E-waste coverage in Schedule 3 of Hazardous Wastes Rules, 2003 is same as that of Basel Convention. Municipal Solid Waste Rules do not cover definitions of electrical and electronic equipment and loss of utility. However, if definition of electrical and electronic equipment and loss of its utility is defined in municipal solid waste rules then the terms, storage, processing, recycling and disposal defines “way of Disposal”. Therefore, the proposed definitions of E-waste, which may be incorporated in respective regulation, are given below:

The Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2003

Under Rule 3, “Definitions”, item no. 14, incorporate sub item number (c) defining E-waste” as “Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment including all components, sub assemblies and their fractions except batteries falling under Schedule 1, Schedule 2 and Schedule 3”.

Under Rule 3, “Definitions”, incorporate new item number 37 defining Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment as “Electrical and Electrical Equipment means any electrical and electronic equipment including components and sub assemblies using electricity discarded for disposal”.

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

Under Rule 3, “Definitions”, item no. xv may be rewritten as “Municipal Solid Waste” includes commercial and residential wastes generated in municipal or notified areas in either solid or semi-solid form excluding industrial hazardous wastes but including Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment other than covered under rule 3 of The Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2003 and treated bio-medical wastes.

The advantage of incorporating these definitions in two regulations would automatically bring E-waste under existing procedures related to regulatory compliance for its storage/ treatment/ processing / recycling.

Source: Central Pollution Control Board