Directive Decoder

The Indian Government has published proposals for the disposal of WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment). The draft also includes what is referred to as the reduction in the use of hazardous substances. This could well be a reference to RoHS although further clarity is required.

The draft does not say if the 20 substances listed, with concentration limits are restricted or that manufacturers should avoid the use of them.

It is unclear whether the thresholds refer to the concentrations in the finished product, in homogeneous materials or something else (remember the debate around this subject leading up to the implementation of EU RoHS).

There are no exemptions associated with the draft but the scope proposed is similar to EU WEEE and includes EU categories 8 and 9, medical devices and monitoring and control instruments.

India has enacted the E-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011.

 

The Rules 2011 cover both the restriction of hazardous materials in electronic and electrical equipment, and also impose responsibility on producers, collection centres, consumers or bulk consumers, dismantlers, and recyclers.

 

The Rules, 2011 apply to every producer, consumer or bulk consumer involved in the manufacture, sale, and purchase and processing of electrical and electronic equipment or components, collection centre, dismantler and recycler of e-waste.

 

WEEE related provisions will enter into force on 1 May 2012, and RoHS related provisions will enter into force on 12 May 2013.

Source: Young and Global Partners (more to follow on this story).

 

Directive Decoder

 

On 1 May 2011 the amended draft document on WEEE and RoHS in India was promulgated as the "e-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2011" by the Indian Government in New Delhi, and which will come into effect on 1 May 2012.  These Rules will apply to all those in the chain of supply and usage, from producers to dismantlers of EEE.  As had been expected, there is a considerable similarity with the EU WEEE and RoHS legislation - for example, batteries and Radio-Active Waste do not form part of these rules as they are dealt with under existing legislation.

However, there are some things to note about the legislation, and how it differs from the draft published in 2010.

The scope categories remain as "IT and Telecoms Equipment" and "Consumer Electrical & Electronics", but the list of items in each scope has now been made inclusive, in that the catch-all phrase " ... and other products or equipment .... " has been removed from the draft document.

As with the EU RoHS Directive, there are 39 substance use exemptions, however these do differ in that in some of them the applicable dates or levels are not defined as they are in the EU list.

With thanks to ERA Technology

Directive Decoder

 

New e-waste rules shall come into effect from 1 May 2012.

Below is an exclusive summary of Indian WEEE and RoHS highlighting the differences between the proposed India scope and that of the EU.

India v EU comparison

Directive Decoder