Country saw 72 per cent increase in e-waste in 5 years: Government

The country saw an increase of around 72 per cent in e-waste generated from electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) such as smartphones, computers, television sets and refrigerators over the past five years, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday.

According to a written reply to a question by Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu, 10.14 lakh tonnes of e-waste was generated in 2019-20 and the figure climbed to 17.51 lakh tonnes in 2023-24.

Sahu said 13,46,496 tonnes of e-waste was generated in 2020-21, 16,01,155 tonnes in 2021-22 and 16,09,117 tonnes in 2022-23.


Under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016, 21 EEE items were notified and information about e-waste generated from these items is available for the last four years (2019-20 to 2022-23).

These 21 items include laptops, telephones, cordless telephones, cellular telephones, smartphones, television sets, air-conditioners (excluding centralised air-conditioning plants) and washing machines.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines on the implementation of E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016, smartphones have a lifespan of five years, refrigerators 10 years, personal computers six years and washing machines nine years.

"The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has notified E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 w.e.f. 1st April, 2023, for the effective management of the e-waste in the country," Sahu said in his reply.

The objective of the said rules is to take all steps required to ensure that e-waste is managed in a manner which shall protect health and environment against any of its adverse effects, he said.