Polluter Pay Principle: Manufacturers targeted by India's e-waste laws

Manufacturers will be responsible for the safe disposal of electronic and electrical goods that they produce. They will be required to set up e-waste collection centers or introduce 'take back' schemes. Bulk users, such as large corporations, will need to keep a record of their e-waste disposal. Manufacturers have been given up to three years to start introducing greener products that exclude or reduce levels of these toxic substances and will have to ensure that consumers are aware of the hazardous compounds present in their products. They will also have to provide information on the proper disposal of e-waste.   New guidelines on e-waste management and recycling but the rules have been extremely diluted from what was expected from the government. The new legislation does not make any mention of informal recyclers, which currently collect around 95 per cent of India's e-waste. The informal sector tends to recycle or extract metals using rudimentary techniques, such as burning or shredding e-waste, which poses a health hazard to employees. Several thousand people are estimated to be employed by the informal sector.