India Introduces New E-Waste (Management) Rules

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 ("Rules 2016") in supersession of E-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 ("Rules 2011"). The Rules 2016 will be effective from October 1, 2016.

Major Key highlights of the rules are as follows:

1. The definition of “bulk consumer” is expanded and has also included public companies and health care facilities which have turnover of more than one crore or have more than twenty employees and they are also require to file annual returns.
2. New rules have also included components, consumables, spares and parts of EEE, Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) and other mercury containing lamp in addition to equipment as listed in Schedule I of previous rule.
3. The rules have continued with exemption for micro enterprises; however small enterprises, which have been referred as one of the major source of generation of e-waste, have been included in the rules for responsibility as manufacturer, without burdening them with Extended Producer Responsibility ‘EPR’ responsibility as applicable to Producers.

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