BANGALORE, India — The demand by IT and consumer electronic brands for a comprehensive law embracing IPR (1) in India to tackle impending e-waste crisis is getting louder as brands have started openly pitching for this. Close on the heels of HCL, another iconic Indian brand, Wipro has announced its support for e-waste law. Acer is the only global brand that openly speaks about the necessity of such law in India(2).
“We
welcome and appreciate Wipro’s pro-law move. With this the brand has joined the
league that includes HCL and Acer,” commented Abhishek Pratap, Greenpeace
toxics Campaigner. “Now the brand needs to lobby within electronic sector and
with government to make the law a reality”
On
chemical management of products, Wipro has moved further with a stronger
‘Precautionary Principle’ and chemical management policy. This is reflected in its aggressive timeline
of 2010 for complete phase out of phthalates, beryllium and antimony, along
with phase-out time line set for BFR and
PVC as 2009 (3).
These
three brands have ensured effective takeback service for their respective
branded, end-of-life products in India, even before they became
vocal on this law. In fact, HCL took the lead in mobilizing other brands to
move the process.
Legislation
embracing Producer Responsibility for e-waste is already in force in the EU, Japan, Korea,
Taiwan, and in a few of the
states in the US.
Presently,
India
adds 1040 tonnes of e-waste everyday which is estimated to reach 3000 tonnes
per day by 2012. The cocktail of toxics chemicals and metals present in the
electronic devices cause irreversible environmental damage and public health
nightmare, when discarded recklessly.
Solution to this impending crisis lies with the brand owners, who must
bear the cost for takeback and safe recycling of their respective end-of-life
products. The principle of Individual Producer Responsibility (IPR) makes
brands responsible for end of the life costs of their products by phasing out
toxic chemicals and metals at the design stage, so that recycling will be safer
and easier.
Greenpeace
demands that other electronic brands should follow the path taken by Wipro and
publicly announce support for e-waste law in India. The legislation is important
in making electronic sector green and clean as it provides level-playing field
for all brands, makes provision of incentive for those brands which accept
responsibility of their end-of-the-life products. The legislation will also
help in establishing a robust system of e-waste collection and treatment
infrastructure so that e-waste can be collected and recycled in safe manner.
This will not only save environment and public health from irreversible damage
but also provide precious metal recovery in the country itself.
For further information, contact
Ramapati Kumar, Greenpeace Toxics Campaigner +91 98455 35414
Abhishek Pratap, Greenpeace Toxics Campaigner +91 98456 10749
Saumya Tripathy, Greenpeace Communications +91 93438 62212
Notes to Editor
1. Individual Producer Responsibility is a refinement the Extended Producers Responsibility, which is a policy tool that makes producers responsible for the entire lifecycle of products - production, usage and finally disposal. EPR works best when it makes full use of both the ingredients of the precautionary principle such as designing-out- toxics and the polluter pay principle such as internalization of full end-of- life cost. EPR also means adopting the same operating standards regardless of location.
2. HCL and Acer support for e-waste legislation in India at
http://www.hclinfosystems.in/hclesafe_ipr.html#top
http://www.global.acer.com/about/sustainability32.htm
3. Wirpo’s support for IPR/EPR framework at http://www.wipro.in/Products/greenpc/html/0002core.htm#8