The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has reported that India faces an uneven distribution of e-waste recycling units, which are predominantly dominated by the informal sector. There is lack of oversight and significant gaps in inter-state transportation as well s inventory management, despite having various e-waste rules in place for over a decade.
In a detailed status report filed with the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the CPCB highlighted that most states and Union Territories (UTs) have not developed the necessary capacity to manage the increasing amounts of e-waste.
India is the third-largest producer of e-waste in the world but only manages approximately 15 per cent of it through the formal channels. This leads to contamination of soil and water and poses severe health risks to workers. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the 2022 E-waste (Management) Rules, introducing a new provision for the extended producer responsibility (EPR) regime which replaces the 2016 rules to enhance environmental governance. The first e-waste rules were introduced in 2011.
E-waste typically comprises metals, plastics, cathode ray tubes, printed circuit boards, cables and other components. Valuable metals such as copper, silver, gold, and platinum can be recovered from e-waste if it is processed scientifically.
The presence of toxic substances such as liquid crystal, lithium, mercury, nickel, polychlorinated biphenyls, selenium, arsenic, barium, brominated flame retardants, cadmium, chromium, cobalt,
copper and lead make e-waste highly hazardous. If dismantled and processed using rudimentary techniques, e-waste poses significant risks to human health, wildlife and the environment.
Uneven distribution of recycling units
The CPCB noted that 17 states and UTs lack adequate e-recycling facilities. With the exception of Jammu & Kashmir, there are no recycling units in any of the UTs. Most recycling units are concentrated in 16 states, including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Maharashtra.
States without facilities manage e-waste through inter-state transportation to registered recyclers. Meanwhile, 21 states and UTs are not maintaining proper records of inter-state e-waste transportation, and only 12 state pollution control boards are keeping such records.
Lack of inventory and monitoring
Many states struggle to maintain e-waste inventories and there is limited monitoring of the informal recycling sector. According to the action taken report, only seven states and UTs have completed the inventory covering all 106 categories of electrical and electronic equipment as required by the new rules.
The CPCB indicated that only a few states reported full compliance with the new rules, while most, including Gujarat and Telangana, reported non-compliant units. Furthermore, 27 states and UTs reported no informal e-waste activities during inspections. However, informal activities were identified in Delhi and Chhattisgarh, leading to enforcement actions, the CPCB claimed in its status report.
The CPCB informed the Tribunal that draft guidelines for nationwide e-waste inventorisation have been prepared and shared with the states. Final guidelines will be issued after receiving pending responses from Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand. The Tribunal has directed the CPCB to file a comprehensive status report by May 21, 2026.