Central government took a big step regarding e-waste, the average age of smartphones and laptops will be only five years

After formulating new rules to deal with e-waste, the Central Government has now fixed the average age of every electronics and electrical equipment being manufactured or sold in the country.

The average age of smartphones and laptops etc. has been fixed at five years. After which these devices will be considered as e-waste. However, this average age will be for the manufacturers making these devices. On the basis of this, they will be given the target to destroy e-waste.

To deal with e-waste, which is becoming a big problem for the country, under these new rules, which came into effect on April 1, 2023, only the brand producers generating e-waste will be responsible for destroying it. However, they have been freed from the direct responsibility of collecting and recycling it. Now they will have to obtain a certificate of e-waste recycling equal to the e-waste generated or in the prescribed quantity from any authorized recycler.

Only after this will they be allowed for new production. This process will be followed by the brand manufacturer allowing their new production every year. To deal with e-waste, the Union Forest and Environment Ministry has fixed the average age of every electronic and electrical equipment - similarly, the average age of a refrigerator will be ten years, and that of a washing machine will be nine years, the companies manufacturing them will get the award on the basis of this.

For example, if a manufacturer produces cameras and its average age is fixed at ten years, then under the new targets, he will have to obtain a certificate from an authorized recycler to destroy sixty percent of the cameras produced within the last ten years. Only on this basis, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) will give them permission for new production. Under this, a new system of recyclers has been set up across the country which will now issue such certificates.

In return, he will take money from the brand producers. Under this, the Union Forest and Environment Ministry has currently determined the average age of 134 electronics and electrical products or similar equipment. These include the average age of a fridge is ten years, washing machines nine years, fans ten years, radio sets eight years, tablets, and iPads five years, scanners five years and the average age of an electrical train and racing car (toy) is The age has been fixed at two years.

The Central Government has taken this step regarding e-waste when at present about 11 lakh tonnes of e-waste is being generated in the country every year. However, currently, only ten percent of them are being collected. In such a situation, e-waste is becoming a big challenge in the country. Although the Central Government had already made rules to deal with this, under these rules, the brand producers i.e. those who produce these products were also responsible for their collection and destruction, which was not achieved.