E-Waste Policy
E-Waste Management
Introduction
E-waste is defined as any discarded electrical or electronic equipment. This comprises products that are either thrown away or donated to a charity reseller such as Goodwill. When an item in a store goes unsold, it is frequently discarded. Toxic compounds naturally leach from the metals inside e-waste when it is buried, making it extremely harmful.
As per E-waste Rule 2016, the E-waste defined as ‘electrical and electronic equipment, whole or in part discarded as waste by the consumer or bulk consumer as well as rejects from manufacturing, refurbishment and repair processes.
Many valuable, recoverable elements can be found in e-waste, including aluminum, copper, gold, silver, polymers, and ferrous metals. In order to conserve natural resources and the energy needed to produce new electronic equipment from virgin resources, electronic equipment can be refurbished, reused, and recycled instead of being land-filled.
Mercury, lead, cadmium, beryllium, chromium, and chemical flame retardants are among the toxic and hazardous compounds found in e-waste, and they have the potential to leak into our land and water.
Benefits of E-waste Recycling
- Electronics Recycling Conserves Natural Resources: There are numerous materials that can be recovered from old electronics. These materials can be used to make new products, thus reducing the need to mine for new raw materials. For instance, various metals can be recovered from computer circuit boards and other electronics, and the plastics and glass found in computer monitors and televisions can be recycled.
- Electronics Recycling Supports the Community: Donating your old electronics plays a major role in the provision of refurbished products such as computers and mobile phones, which can be of great help to low-income families, schools, and not-for-profit organizations. It also assists individuals in gaining access to technologies that they otherwise would not have been able to buy.
- Electronics Recycling Creates Employment Locally: Considering that around 90 percent of electronic equipment is recyclable, electronics recycling can play an important role in generating employment. This is because new firms dealing with electronics recycling will form and existing firms will look to employ more people to recover recyclable materials. This can be triggered by the increase in the demand for electronics recycling.
- Electronics Recycling Helps Protect Public Health and the Environment: Many electrical devices contain toxic or dangerous compounds like mercury and lead, which can harm the environment if discarded in trashcans. Reusing and recycling electronics in a responsible manner helps to keep hazardous materials out of the hands of humans and the environment. For example, televisions and computer monitors are hazardous since they have lead in them. Printed circuit boards contain harmful materials such as cadmium, lead, mercury, and chromium. Also, batteries in computers and other electronics may contain hazardous materials such as cadmium, mercury, and lead.
- Creates Jobs: E-waste recycling creates new jobs for professional recyclers and creates a second market for the recycled materials.
Collection Mechanism of E-waste
Buy-back Scheme
Under Buy-back Scheme, in cases where the customer wants to discard their old product, they may call the Toll-Free number (1800-102-5679) and our representatives shall approach the customer and buy the said discarded product from the customer in consideration.
The Customer shall also be free to deposit the discarded product at the nearest collection point and he will get a discount voucher and shall be eligible for the discount on the purchase of selected new products of the Company. The company will coordinate with other independent vendors who may sell the e-waste/EOL product collected by them.
The company will furthermore elaborate its scheme and shall keep updating the same based on the experience faced while implementing the said schemes on a quarterly basis.
Direct Collection from Customer’s Premises
For collection of e-waste, the Company has set up a toll-free number where any customer may call and register itself for either depositing its old product free of cost or otherwise under the buy-back program initiated by the company. The company shall give its toll-free number on their product manuals, website, social networking platforms, and at its various connected premises for its customer information for disposal of the e-waste. The customer can directly call these numbers, and the e-waste will be directly collected by the company or by its recycler partner. The company has a recycler partner who manages logistic services through OM Logistics Limited, available at most of the locations at its collection centers.
Recycling of E-waste
The company has tied up with E-Waste Recyclers India (EWRI) for the collection of all our e-waste PAN India and disposes of the same at their plant at Facility – Industrial Area Shed No-15, RozkaMeo Industrial Area, Nuh, Mewat, Haryana-122103. Customers can reach or call the Toll-Free No 1800-102-5679. Our representatives explain to them the process of disposal and make them aware of the nearest drop point available to drop the e-waste. We also provide information about the incentives we will offer against their end-of-life product. If any customer wants to handover the material from their doorstep, we send either our logistics team or the E-waste Solutions team to collect the items and channelize the same to our e-waste partner plant for final processing.
Do’s & Don’ts
Do’s:
- Always look for information on the catalogue with your product for end-of-life equipment handling.
- Ensure that only Authorized Recyclers/Dismantlers handle your electronic (i.e., LED TVs and accessories) products.
- Always call our toll-free numbers to dispose of products that have reached end-of-life.
- Always drop your used electronic products, batteries, or any accessories when they reach the end of their life at your nearest Authorized E-Waste Collection Points.
- Always disconnect the battery from the product, and ensure any glass surface is protected against breakage.
Don’ts:
- Do not dismantle your electronic products on your own.
- Do not throw electronics in bins having “Do not Dispose” signs.
- Do not give e-waste to informal and unorganized sectors like Local Scrap Dealers/Rag Pickers.
- Do not dispose of your product in garbage bins along with municipal waste that ultimately reaches landfills.
