Extended Producer Liability (EPR) In India and Across the World: A Special Note on Electronic Waste (E-Waste)

ABSTRACT

EPR is a legal tactic that requires manufacturers to assume accountability for all stages of a products lifecycle, encompassing recycling, take-back, and disposal. It was established in response to the production of rubbish and environmental contamination. EPR programs are used by several industries, such as electronics, batteries, packaging, and automobiles. This paper discusses EPR in relation to e-waste. EPR emphasizes pollution avoidance and controls the environmental effects of products over their whole lifecycle. The two international tenets of preventive and polluter pays serve as its primary foundations. Varied nations have varied legislation for the handling of electronic waste that contains EPR principles, with different stakeholders having variable degrees of obligations and promises. By the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) and RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) Directives, which target e-waste for resource exploitation, landfill usage reduction, and environmental contamination prevention, the European Union enforces EPR. In Belgium, companies are compelled to take part in return programs; in the Netherlands, manufacturers and importers must set up refund programs with merchants, repair shops, and local governments. The global project known as EPR (Electronic Waste Eradication and Recyclability) seeks to encourage the recycling of products that contain electronic waste (EE). EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) approaches are developed in Thailand, Indonesia, India, and other countries to address the management of electronic waste. To sum up, extended producer responsibility (EPR) is an important legal tool that makes manufacturers accountable for all stages of a products life, including recycling, take-back, and disposal.

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