Time to Reboot III

E-waste is one of most crucial waste issues globally. Its increasing volumes, along with toxicity concerns has been a cause for concern since last couple of decades. In a developing country like India, the concern is heightened because more than 85-90% of this waste is recycled in the informal sector, where use of crude technology leads to health and environmental risks.

E-waste rules in 2011 (revised E-waste Rules 2016) brought in the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) as a key principle to reduce some of these risks. Under EPR, the Producers or the brands selling electronic and electrical equipment are meant to set up takeback system, create awareness among consumers and ensure that e-waste is collected and treated in an appropriate manner.

Time to Reboot III assess 54 major electrical and electronic brands in India on the waters of Extended Producer Responsibility. The third report in the ‘Time to Reboot’ series, like the earlier ones, go beyond the legal mandates and also assesses some parameters from consumer perspective. Based on their performances, the Producers or the companies have been grouped into 4 categories, namely, Green, Blue, Yellow and Red- with Green as best and Red as worst. The study report also comes out with some recommendations to improve compliance and the systems on ground.