E-waste Management Policy in India - Stakeholders perceptions and media attention
(2008) IMEN56 20081The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics
- Abstract
- E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in India due to an increase in
consumption from businesses and domestic users. There is no separate law on e-waste
management in India and it is presently interpreted under the Hazardous Waste (HW) rules. In
practice, e-waste is largely handled by people in the informal sector. Having recognized the
need for a separate policy on e-waste management, some NGOs and bi-lateral agencies put
concerted efforts in 2006 but the process has not progressed considerably in the last two
years. This research has been conducted to understand the policy making process which is
influenced by the perceptions of different stakeholders and the media. The policy core beliefs
of stakeholders on various... (More) - E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in India due to an increase in
consumption from businesses and domestic users. There is no separate law on e-waste
management in India and it is presently interpreted under the Hazardous Waste (HW) rules. In
practice, e-waste is largely handled by people in the informal sector. Having recognized the
need for a separate policy on e-waste management, some NGOs and bi-lateral agencies put
concerted efforts in 2006 but the process has not progressed considerably in the last two
years. This research has been conducted to understand the policy making process which is
influenced by the perceptions of different stakeholders and the media. The policy core beliefs
of stakeholders on various topics such as the threat of e-waste on health and the environment,
the need of a separate policy on e-waste, the applicability of the extended producer
responsibility (EPR) policy principle, responsibilities of various stakeholders and the most
affected parties due to a possible policy are investigated through semi-structured interviews
and questionnaires. The media has been analyzed to understand the reasons for the variations
in media attention during 2003-2007. The study finds that the policy making process has not
considerably progressed due to (1) the differences in the beliefs of civil servants and experts
and those of NGOs and bi-lateral agencies and (2) a decrease of the media coverage of the
issue in the last two years. In addition, the principle of EPR has been misconceptualised as
mere take-back scheme and the WEEE Directive in the European Union has been,
unfortunately, viewed as the model for EPR legislations. This misinterpretation of the EPR
policy principle might contribute to the slowdown of the development of a separate e-waste
policy in India. (Less)
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@misc{1413818,
abstract = {{E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in India due to an increase in
consumption from businesses and domestic users. There is no separate law on e-waste
management in India and it is presently interpreted under the Hazardous Waste (HW) rules. In
practice, e-waste is largely handled by people in the informal sector. Having recognized the
need for a separate policy on e-waste management, some NGOs and bi-lateral agencies put
concerted efforts in 2006 but the process has not progressed considerably in the last two
years. This research has been conducted to understand the policy making process which is
influenced by the perceptions of different stakeholders and the media. The policy core beliefs
of stakeholders on various topics such as the threat of e-waste on health and the environment,
the need of a separate policy on e-waste, the applicability of the extended producer
responsibility (EPR) policy principle, responsibilities of various stakeholders and the most
affected parties due to a possible policy are investigated through semi-structured interviews
and questionnaires. The media has been analyzed to understand the reasons for the variations
in media attention during 2003-2007. The study finds that the policy making process has not
considerably progressed due to (1) the differences in the beliefs of civil servants and experts
and those of NGOs and bi-lateral agencies and (2) a decrease of the media coverage of the
issue in the last two years. In addition, the principle of EPR has been misconceptualised as
mere take-back scheme and the WEEE Directive in the European Union has been,
unfortunately, viewed as the model for EPR legislations. This misinterpretation of the EPR
policy principle might contribute to the slowdown of the development of a separate e-waste
policy in India.}},
author = {{Manda, B M Krishna}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{E-waste Management Policy in India - Stakeholders perceptions and media attention}},
year = {{2008}},
}