...NGO points to policy limitations

New Delhi: A new report by environmental organisation Toxics Link has raised serious concerns regarding structural gaps in India's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework for managing e-waste and lapses on ground.The study by the NGO, titled 'Long Road to Circularity', argues that although EPR is a cornerstone of India's waste management policy, the system is too narrow in its scope. Regulations mandate the recovery of only gold, copper, iron and aluminium from discarded products. Critical minerals such as neodymium, dysprosium and lithium, which are essential for renewable energy technologies, are not covered under mandatory recovery norms, the report says. "These resources are either lost in informal recycling streams or disposed of." Satish Sinha, associate director at Toxics Link, said: "Robust waste collection network, integration of informal sector, high-tech recycling infrastructure are essential." TNN