Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change addressed concerns about waste management from clean energy infrastructure by revising and implementing the E-Waste Management Rules, 2022, effective April 1, 2023. These rules address e-waste, including solar photovoltaic modules, and establish an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regime. The rules promote a circular economy and require registration, inventory maintenance, and compliance with standard operating procedures for manufacturers, producers, refurbishers, and recyclers on a centralized portal.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **E-Waste Management Rules, 2022:**
* Revised from the 2016 rules and in force since April 1, 2023.
* Manage e-waste, including solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, in an environmentally sound manner.
* Improved Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regime for e-waste recycling.
* Promotes circular economy through EPR and scientific recycling/disposal.
* **Registration and Compliance:**
* Manufacturers, producers, refurbishers, and recyclers must register on the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) portal.
* Manufacturers and producers of solar PV modules must:
* Obtain registration.
* Maintain inventory of solar PV modules.
* Store waste generated from solar PV modules up to 2034-35.
* File annual returns.
* Comply with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
* Process waste other than solar PV modules as per applicable rules.
* Recyclers of solar PV modules must recover material as laid down by the CPCB.
* **Implementation and Monitoring:**
* Online E-Waste EPR portal developed by CPCB.
* CPCB developed guidelines for scientific and environmentally sound e-waste management.
* Action plan implemented by State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) with quarterly progress reports.
* Compliance submitted through quarterly and annual returns on the E-waste Portal.
* Verification and audit of registered entities by CPCB or designated agency.
* Environmental Compensation (EC) Guidelines developed for violations.
* **Stakeholder Consultation:**
* Draft notification published in May 2022 after consultations with Central Ministries, Departments, Agencies, electronic/electrical manufacturing associations, and recycler associations.
* Final notification issued on November 2, 2022.
* **Recycling Infrastructure:**
* State-wise list of registered e-waste recyclers provided (375 total recyclers registered as of 20.07.2025).
* Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of registered recyclers (105).
Impact Analysis:
* **Manufacturers and Producers of Solar PV Modules:**
* *Impact:* Required to register, maintain inventory, store waste, file annual returns, comply with SOPs, and process waste appropriately.
* *Action Required:* Register on the CPCB portal, establish systems for inventory management and waste storage, ensure compliance with SOPs, and file required returns.
* **E-waste Recyclers:**
* *Impact:* Need to register, recover materials as per CPCB guidelines, and operate in an environmentally sound manner.
* *Action Required:* Register on the CPCB portal, adhere to CPCB guidelines for material recovery, and ensure environmentally sound recycling practices.
* **State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs):**
* *Impact:* Responsible for implementing the E-Waste Management Rules, 2022 within their respective states/UTs.
* *Action Required:* Implement the action plan, monitor compliance, and submit quarterly progress reports to the CPCB.
* **Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB):**
* *Impact:* Oversees the implementation of the rules, develops guidelines, manages the online portal, and conducts audits.
* *Action Required:* Maintain and update the online portal, provide guidelines for e-waste management, conduct audits, and enforce the rules.
Key Entities Referenced
E-Waste Management Rules, 2016: The previous version of the e-waste management regulations in India, comprehensively revised by the Ministry.
E-Waste Management Rules, 2022: The revised regulations for managing e-waste in India, including solar photovoltaic modules, notified in November 2022 and in force since April 1, 2023.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): A policy approach under the E-Waste Management Rules, 2022 where producers are responsible for the end-of-life management of their products.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB): The central agency responsible for developing guidelines, overseeing the implementation of e-waste management rules, and developing the E-Waste EPR portal.
State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs): State-level agencies responsible for implementing the E-Waste Management Rules, 2022, within their respective states.
Daggumalla Prasada Rao: The Member of Parliament who raised the unstarred question in Lok Sabha regarding waste management of clean energy equipment.
Kirti Vardhan Singh: The Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change who provided the answer to the Lok Sabha question.
Andhra Pradesh: A state in India with 3 registered E-Waste recyclers as of July 20, 2025
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2451
TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2025
Waste Management of Clean Energy Equipment
2451. SHRI DAGGUMALLA PRASADA RAO:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to
state:
(a) whether the Government has formulated any guidelines, policies or Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs) for disposal and recycling of waste generated from clean energy
infrastructure such as wind turbines, solar photovoltaic panels and batteries;
(b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor and whether the Government
proposes to bring out such guidelines in the near future;
(c) whether the Government has collected data of waste currently being generated from
ageing or decommissioned renewable energy equipment and an estimate for waste
expected to be generated over the next decade, if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the Government has engaged with States, industry stakeholders and recycling
sector experts to draft comprehensive waste management norms for clean energy
machinery; and
(e) the details regarding recycling and disposal centres and mechanisms developed by the
Government to handle waste from clean energy infrastructure, State-wise?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a) to (c) Ministry has comprehensively revised the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 and
notified the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 in November, 2022 and the same is in force
since 1st April, 2023. These new rules provide for managing e-waste including solar photo-
voltaic (PV) modules or panels or cells in an environmentally sound manner and putting in
place an improved Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regime for e-waste recycling
wherein all the manufacturer, producer, refurbisher and recycler are required to register on
portal developed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The new provisions facilitate
and channelize the informal sector to formal sector for doing business and ensuring recycling
of e-waste in environmentally sound manner. Provisions for environmental compensation and
verification & audit have also been introduced. These rules also promote Circular Economy
through EPR regime and scientific recycling/disposal of the e-waste.
As per these rules, every manufacturer and producer of solar photo-voltaic modules or
panels or cells has been mandated to obtain registration, maintain inventory of solar PV
modules, store the waste generated from Solar PV modules/panels/cells up to the year 2034-
35, file annual returns, comply with Standard Operating Procedures, and process the waste
other than solar PV modules as per the applicable rules or guidelines. Further, Recyclers ofsolar photo-voltaic modules or panels or cells have been mandated for recovery of material as
laid down by the CPCB.
Following steps have been taken for effective management of E-Waste Rules as under:
(i) An online E-Waste EPR portal has been developed by CPCB wherein entities such as
producers, manufacturers, recyclers and refurbishers of the e-waste are required to be
registered.
(ii) CPCB has developed guidelines for the scientific and environmentally sound
management of e-waste. The guidelines detail the procedures and facilities in terms of
machineries and pollution control devices required for the recycling of e-waste in
environmentally sound manner.
(iii) An action plan for implementation of E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 has been
prepared by CPCB and the same is being implemented by all the State Pollution
Control Boards (SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) in their respective
States/UTs. SPCBs/PCCs are submitting quarterly progress report.
(iv) The registered entities submit their compliance through Quarterly and Annual Returns
on the E-waste Portal.
(v) The rules have provided verification and audit of the registered entities by the CPCB
or through a designated agency to verify compliance of these rules through random
inspection and periodic audit, as deemed appropriate, so as to take action against
violations of these rules.
(vi) Environmental Compensation (EC) Guidelines under E-Waste (Management) Rules,
2022 have been developed for levying EC on any entity in case of violation of any of
the provision of these rules and guidelines issued hereunder.
(d) & (e) Ministry after consultations with concerned Central Ministries/ Department/
Agencies, electronic/electrical manufacturing associations and recyclers associations prepared
and published draft notification on ‘E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022’ in May, 2022.
Considering comments/suggestion received, final notification on ‘E-Waste (Management)
Rules, 2022 was notified on 2nd November, 2022 and the same is in force since 1st April, 2023.
State wise list of registered recyclers are at Annexure.
***Annexure
State wise list of registered recyclers as on 20.07.2025
S. No. No. of Registered E-Waste
State/UTs
Recycler
1. ANDHRA PRADESH 3
2. ASSAM 1
3. BIHAR 1
4. CHHATTISGARH 1
5. GUJARAT 32
6. HARYANA 39
7. HIMACHAL PRADESH 4
8. JHARKHAND 2
9. KARNATAKA 49
10. KERALA 2
11. MADHYA PRADESH 9
12. MAHARASHTRA 62
13. PUNJAB 8
14. RAJASTHAN 13
15. TAMIL NADU 14
16. TELANGANA 17
17. UTTAR PRADESH 105
18. UTTARAKHAND 4
19. WEST BENGAL 9
Grand Total 375