Andhra Pradesh introduces SOP to tackle urban e-waste
VIJAYAWADA: In a major push to strengthen urban environmental governance, the Andhra Pradesh government has introduced a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to regulate the collection and disposal of electronic waste across all 123 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
The directive, issued by the Municipal Administration & Urban Development (MA&UD) Department, comes amid growing concerns over the rising volume of discarded electronic items entering municipal waste streams.
The government highlighted that commonly discarded gadgets—such as mobile phones, computers, cables and household appliances—contain hazardous materials that can cause long-term environmental and health damage if dumped in landfills.
To address this, the new SOP mandates twice-monthly E-Waste collection drives in every ULB, scheduled for the 10th and 20th of each month.
Each ULB must set up designated collection points, maintain detailed records and appoint a Nodal Officer to oversee operations.
All collected E-Waste must be handed over exclusively to the authorised recycling agency designated by the Swachha Andhra Corporation (SAC).
Although the State had previously signed an MoU with M/s RE Sustainability Pvt. Ltd., only 46 ULBs had transferred their collected waste so far, prompting the government to introduce a uniform framework and tighten compliance.
SAC will now manage a central dashboard to monitor real-time progress, while ULBs will submit monthly and quarterly reports. The initiative will be supported by awareness campaigns in schools, residential associations and urban neighbourhoods to promote responsible disposal practices.
E-Waste management performance will also factor into district-level rankings under the Swarna Andhra Swachha Andhra (SASA) programme.
Principal Secretary (MA&UD) S Suresh Kumar said the SOP marks a significant advancement in the State’s waste management efforts.
He noted that E-Waste is among the fastest-growing waste streams and stressed the importance of a transparent, traceable system from households to authorised recyclers.
He added that citizen participation will be crucial, warning that even a single improperly discarded gadget can harm the environment.
With the guidelines taking immediate effect, ULB Commissioners have been directed to ensure strict implementation. The government expects the new framework to curb unsafe dumping, boost recycling rates, and support Andhra Pradesh’s broader goal of building cleaner, more sustainable urban ecosystems.