11-07-2025
- Business
- Fashion Value Chain
Experts Push for E-Waste Reform Ahead of Recycling Show
As momentum builds toward the Bharat Recycling Show 2025, Media Fusion and Crain Communications hosted the second edition of their industry roundtable series on June 27 in New Delhi. The session convened leading voices across India's sustainability, waste management, and policy landscape to address two growing challenges: e-waste and end-of-life battery disposal.
The panel emphasized how India's surging digital footprint and rapid EV adoption are generating record levels of electronic and battery waste—issues that the current recycling framework struggles to manage. Speakers stressed the urgent need for stronger Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) enforcement, formalized collection systems, reverse logistics, and regulation of informal scrap networks.
L. Pugazhenthy, Executive Director, India Lead Zinc Development Association, highlighted that dry cells and lithium-ion batteries are frequently mishandled due to weak enforcement and regulatory loopholes. 'Despite existing guidelines, compliance remains poor and informal channels dominate,' he noted.
Satish Sinha, Associate Director, Toxics Link, pointed to the disconnect between existing rules and actual implementation, warning that government auctions often favor unregulated players.
India's e-waste market, valued at USD 2.96 billion in 2024, is forecast to triple by 2033, driven by urbanization and rising digital consumption. Yet, speakers like Preeti Tiwari (Landbell GreenForest Solutions) emphasized that unless supported by transparent supply chains and shared producer responsibility, EPR policies will fall short.
Gautam Mehra (OpenGate Global Enterprises) and Akshit Jain (Recyclify) flagged serious data and infrastructure gaps, which hinder traceability and accountability across the recycling ecosystem.
Pallas Chandel of GIZ highlighted the plight of peri-urban and rural regions, where the absence of formal collection networks leads to open burning and serious pollution. She called for decentralized models and integration of informal rural workers into formal systems.
WRI India and Global Green Growth Institute representatives shared insights from global best practices, while NAMO eWaste CEO Sanjeev Srivastava advocated for financial support and pricing mandates to level the playing field for formal recyclers.
Panelists jointly recommended real-time monitoring, informal sector inclusion, enforcement audits, and public education. These interventions, they agreed, are critical to building a sustainable and scalable recycling ecosystem in India.
The Bharat Recycling Show 2025 will be held from 13–15 November at Hall 6, NESCO Exhibition Center, Mumbai, providing a platform for commodity-focused showcases and strategic industry discussions.
