Page 206 - DMGT302_FUNDAMENTALS_OF_PROJECT_MANAGEMENT

Unit 13: Regulatory Framework of Projects

A1180: Waste electrical and electronic assemblies or scrap containing components such as Notes
accumulators and other batteries included in List A, mercury-switches, glass from cathode-ray
tubes and other activated glass, and PCB-capacitors, or contaminated with Annex I constituents
(for example, cadmium, mercury, lead, polychlorinated biphenyl) to an extent that they possess
any of the characteristics contained in Annexure III.

From the above we can gather that at the very least, circuit boards, CRTs, and other electronic
boards or components and assemblies containing lead based solders and copper beryllium
alloys (which include most computer circuit boards and much other electronic equipment), are
indeed hazardous wastes according to the Basel Convention. Likewise, whole, used, discarded
computers, printers, and monitors that contain such circuit boards or CRTs that are not to be
re-used directly are to be considered as hazardous waste and subject to the Basel Convention. To
date, the United States is the only developed country in the world that has not ratified the Basel
Convention. In fact, US officials have actively worked to defeat and weaken the Basel waste
export ban. The US government policies appear to be designed to promote sweeping the e-waste
problem out the Asian back door. Not only has the US refused to ratify the Basel Convention and
Ban, but in fact, the United States government has intentionally exempted e-waste materials,
within the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, from the minimal laws that do exist
(requiring prior notification of hazardous waste shipments) to protect importing countries.

Did u know? The 160-State Basel Convention is the world’s most comprehensive
environmental agreement on hazardous and other wastes.

Governments are expected to minimize the generation of hazardous wastes, treat and dispose of
wastes as close as possible to their place of generation and reduce the quantities transported. The
proper implementation of the Basel Convention ensures that hazardous e-waste be managed in
an environmentally sound manner as it provides the tools for the transparency and traceability
of e-wastes destined for recycling or recovery. The development of international resource
recycling systems would have to be combined with a mechanism capable of monitoring such
systems to ensure their accountability. That could not be achieved, however, without intensified
international efforts to help developing countries strengthen their capacity to implement the
Convention.
A programme of action in the Asia-Pacific region to dispose of electrical and electronic waste in
an environmentally sound way and stop its illegal trafficking was also launched with the support
of the United Nations Environmental Programme’s (UNEP) Basel Convention Regional Centres
in China, Indonesia and Samoa. Due to rapid industrialisation, several developing countries in
the Asia-Pacific region need to access large quantities of secondary raw materials. As a result,
large amounts of used and end-of-life electronic wastes are being sent to them for recycling,
recovery and refurbishment of non-ferrous and precious metals at facilities which do not always
meet high environmental standards.
To combat the ever growing e-waste problem, India needs to have strong rules and regulations
in place. Over the years, the government has instituted a number of regulations for better
management of hazardous waste in the country. Some of these regulations are given below:
(a) Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989/2000/2003: These define
hazardous waste as “any waste which by reason of any of its physical, chemical, reactive,
toxic, flammable, explosive or corrosive characteristics causes danger or is likely to cause
danger to health or environment, whether alone or when on contact with other wastes or
substances.”
In Schedule 1, waste generated from the electronic industry is considered as hazardous
waste. Schedule 3 lists waste of various kinds including electrical and electronic assemblies

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