How to setup an E waste recycling Plant in India?

Electronic wastes are actually electronic products that can’t be used anymore. They can’t be refurbished, repaired or given a new life by any means whatsoever.

When that happens, you get two choices, either you burn them – which is obviously wrong – or you dump it in an e waste recycling plant.

If you’re a user of such products, then this blog isn’t for you. But if you’re someone who understands the need of recycling and wants to setup his or her own plant where an old laptop, a battery or a desktop can be given a new form without damaging the environment, then read on.

E waste recycling plant – a mandatory requirement for every manufacturer and importer

As per the rules of Central Pollution Control Board, every manufacturer and importer of electronic products should either setup an electronic waste recycling plant or get in contract with one.

Its purpose would be to recycle, dismantle or dispose discarded electronic products – electronic wastes. To prove that they can provide all the necessary e waste management facilities, such importers and  manufacturers, must get a EPR Certificate. Read More: Insurance Broker License

First step to setup an E Waste recycling plant – Understand the requirement

EPR License, regardless of its’ importance, is not required by those who want to only setup a E waste recycling plant. However, what you do require is the understanding of what such an endeavour should entail:

1. The e waste management plant should have a proper waste water management system installed in the premises.
2. You should provide ample of space that can be used to manually dismantle all the electronic products.
3. You should also provide a space that can be used to magnetically separate metals from plastic
4. You should also provide a facility in which the plastic can be remoulded into something else – because disposing it by burying or burning it can cause damage to the environment.
5. It’s important the workers responsible for collecting, and dismantling the e waste in their initial stages are provide with the right protective gear.

Second step is to understand the process of recycling

When the electronic manufacturers are issued EPR registration certificate, they don’t have any idea about the integral process of recycling. If you are one of these ignorant entities, don’t worry, for we are about to open your eyes of the steps of recycling in India.

1. Sorting:
   1. The first step of recycling is manually sorting and categorizing them.
2. Dismantling:
   1. After you’ve sorted the products, the manual process of dismantling takes place. Here, the discarded electronic products – e waste – are disassembled so that they can be delivered to the reduction unit.
3. Large scale reduction:
   1. Here the large dismantled wastes are reduced to fine particles – to the point that you can get the sense of the raw material that they are made of.
4. Small scale Reduction:
   1. Small dismantled wastes are spread out on a conveyor belt and are further broken down.
5. Separation between metallic and non metallic:
   1. The whole reason extended producer responsibility exist is to separate the plastic from the resources. Thus, at this stage, metals and plastic are separated using magnetic technology.
6. Water separation:
   1. Magnetic separation can only do so much to separate plastic from metal. That’s why, the last step of water separation takes place. It separates glass particles from plastic and both of them are then sent to be remoulded into something useful. Simply put, they are recycled.

Final Step: Use your knowledge to setup your e waste plant within your manufacturing facility

Now that you know the requirements and the process of recycling, what’s stopping you from setting up a facility of your own? Implement the information that this blog has given you and get started.

In this article, we have explained to you how to setup an E waste recycling plant in India. If you have any further queries, you can dive in refer to our other blogs.