Double Standards

E-waste E-waste

PRAGYAN ACHARYA pragyana@cybermedia.co.in

Double Standards?

Global vendors that have definite e-waste handling policies and practices in developed markets practice very little of that in India. Legislation could help in changing that attitude

26 | June 30, 2011

A

fter we ran a story on the e-waste recycling industry in our May 31st issue, we were flooded with complaints. Many consumers who are sensitive about the environment today have no options but to keep piling up their electronic products at home. This prompted us to follow up with the vendors to find out what they were doing. So, what started as a regular story on a new emerging segment ended up becoming full-fledged research into the promise and practice of major tech vendors operating in India.

What we found is not exactly very encouraging. We found that many of the tech vendors, who have clearly articulated policies in Individual Producer Responsibility visit www.dqindia.com

DATAQUEST | A CyberMedia Publication

(IPR) and were practicing that earnestly in developed markets, are not even doing a fraction of that in the Indian market. Another suprising finding was that many India-headquartered companies were better in this respect than their non-Indian counterparts. Of course, there are exceptions among both.

The Stated Positioning A quick look at the websites of the major tech vendors is a good way to assess the seriousness of a company’s IPR thrust, though a vendor may have a good policy on paper but is not practicing it on the ground.

Nevertheless, it is a good starting point. A runthrough through the websites of major tech vendors reveals that most of the global MNCs have only the global takeback policies mentioned in their Indian websites. It is hard to seek information about their IPR policies and takeback programs in India. Moreover, the information is not sufficient. If consumers want to seek information, they need to indulge into serious browsing exercise (See table).

IPR and Takeback Info on Vendor Websites Company

Information About IPR

Information About Take Back

Is The Information Sufficient?

Dell

Yes

Yes

Yes

Nokia

Yes

Yes

Yes

HCL Infosystems

Yes

Yes

Yes

Wipro

Yes

Yes

Yes

IBM

No

Asset recovery of IBM products

No

Sony Erricson

Yes

Global takeback

Average

Acer

Yes

Yes

Yes

Apple

No

No

No

HP

No

only for HP LaserJet Printer

No

Lenovo

No

No

No

LG

No

No

No

Samsung

No

No

No

Sharp

No

No

No

Toshiba

Yes

Yes

Yes

Zenith

Yes

Yes

Yes

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There are exceptions, though Websites of Nokia, Acer, and HCL give clear information about their recycling policies. Nokia India’s website clearly tells how a customer can recycle its obsolete product. Acer’s India website, on the other hand, is very India centric. HCL’s website has a detailed report on the amount of e-waste generated and recycled in India.

Apple’s India website declares that their entire product line—Mac, iPod, iPhone, iPad and accessories—are free from toxic materials like BFRs and PVCs. But its India website has no information about its IPR and takeback policies. Similarly, HP’s site mentions information only about laser printers. There is little mention of any takeback policies by Lenovo, LG, Samsung and Sharp. On the contrary, HCL, Wipro, and Zenith clearly mention information about IPR.

Missing: Action on the Ground Despite all big claims, the implementation of IPR policies by major tech vendors does not seem to be happening. There is no separate IPR policies in India.

And there is need for it because here consumer awareness is the biggest challenge. This is what most tech vendors are saying. Though tech vendors like Dell, HP, Nokia, HCL, Wipro are trying to bring in some level of awareness among the masses, trying to reach maximum number of B2B and B2C customers. Dell has launched a free laptop battery recycling program in India for consumers.

“We recognize the challenges around what is primarily an unorganized sector, and that creating a level playing field for all the manufacturers may require a certain level of legislation or regulation,” says Mahesh Bhalla, general manager, consumer and SMB, Dell India. Dell has designed the free laptop battery recycling program to encourage consumers to responsibly dispose their non-working laptop batteries, thereby preventing e-waste from entering landfills.

Nokia, which is proactive in taking back all kinds of phones and mobile related accessories by any manufacturer, has initiated the recycling bins placed at Nokia Care Centers and priority dealers. “In addition to the recycling bins placed at Nokia care centers and priority dealers, we have also initiated an ongoing take back and recycling program in offices of various partnering corporations across India. This initiative aims at creating awareness on recycling and encouraging employees of partnering corporations to recycle their old handsets and accessories, regardless of the brand. Till date, Nokia has covered around 300 offices across India of several partner corporations ranging across various sectors,” says Poonam Kaul, director, corporate communications, Nokia India.

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June 30, 2011 | 27

E-waste “There is a strong need for the government to have a concrete policy in place to tackle the present ewaste problem” Rothin Bhattacharyya, executive VP, HCL Infosystems

“Nokia has covered around 300 offices across India, of several partner corporations from across sectors” Poonam Kaul, director, corporate Communications, Nokia India

Abhishek Pratap, senior campaigner, corporate campaign, climate and energy, Greenpeace India 28 | June 30, 2011

“Things have changed from what it used to be few years back. Indian companies understand this problem better because they understand the Indian scenario better than global MNCs”

Nokia is a clear example of multinational tech vendor who is a leader and even a trendsetter.

Similarly, HCL Infosystems has also formulated the HCL Green Bag Campaign for the recovery and recycling of e-waste.

“HCL, Wipro and Nokia have the best practices in recycling e-waste,” says Abhishek Pratap, senior campaigner, climate & energy at Greenpeace. “Wipro recycles about 30 tonnes of e-wastes every month, which is quite good. HCL is also serious about its recycling programs and Nokia works with registered e-waste recyclers, and their collection and processing procedures follow good standards,” he substantiates.

Due to the absence of strict policies on e-waste recycling in India, global MNCs are not taking the implementation seriously. In contrast, they are very particular about their IPR policies in developed countries. The governments in developed countries have issued clear guidelines to corporates and common citizens to follow their national regulations and organized management schemes for WEEE. It seems that in India responsible e-waste management is left to the will of the tech vendors, MNCs and tech consumers. India is seeing huge growth in the usage of technology, yet there are no existing environmental laws that have a direct reference to electronic waste. Legislation for producer responsibility on e-waste has already been enforced in the EU, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and some US states. But until the government gets strict with tech vendors and mandates them to exercise clear IPR policies, tech vendors operating in India have to take this initiative.

Though with increase in consumer awareness, it is improving. “Things have changed from what it used to be few years back but it has not changed the way it should have. Indian companies understand this problem better because they understand the Indian scenario better than global MNCs. Dell and HP have not done enough in this aspect. Dell claims that it began its recycling services in India in 2006 but had formally launched the recycling service in 2010,” says Pratap of Greenpeace.

HP limits its recycling programs to only the major cities in India. They recycle or take back all HP products for their B2B and B2C customers in all major cities across India. But their IPR policies are not so specific to India. “We support the principle of IPR across all regions that we operate in, including India.

We are actively involved with industry bodies and core working groups on e-waste recycling in India,” says Annukka Dickens, Environmental Manager-HP Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ).

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E-waste

Mahesh Bhalla, general manager, consumer and SMB, Dell India

Ashok Tripathy, general manager and business head, Wipro Systems and Technologies

responsible e-waste management,” says Ashok Tripathy, “We recognize general manager and business head, Wipro Systems and the challenges Technologies. around what is Companies are trying to generate a lot of awareness among the masses but the strategies should be impleprimarily an unmented in a way that would lure the tech consumers and organized secpester them to recycle their obsolete tech products. The tor, and that staffs of the collection points and the service centers creating a level should be aware about the take back services, so they convince their consumers to recycle old tech prodplaying field for can ucts. Kaul says, “Nokia continually undertakes briefings all manufactur- and training of its store employees, which also emphaers may require sizes and focuses on the Nokia takeback initiatives.” a certain level Need for Legislation of legislation or If MNCs can embrace IPR policies in developed countries but not in India, this just shows that tech vendors regulation”

“All the collection centers of Wipro have seen increase in e-waste collections. We execute special programs for our corporate customers to involve them in responsible ewaste management”

Can Tech Vendors Bring about Change?

In the absence of strict rules and policies on e-waste recycling in India, tech vendors are not forced to adopt e-waste policies which they adopt in developed markets. Tech vendors are adopting this as a CSR measure.

Many vendors are also trying to create an awareness among the masses. “Due to our sustained efforts towards awareness and education, we are seeing more progressive minded organizations taking steps to address issues of e-waste. All the collection centers of Wipro have seen increase of e-waste collections. We execute special programs for our corporate customers to involve them in 30 | June 30, 2011

are refraining from their responsiblity in the absence of any kind of legislation. There is need for the government to act immediately on clear environmental laws. But the vendors can not be blamed alone for not taking up the initiative. Once the government intervenes things are expected to change. “The customer mindset is not the only challenge, as this still remains an unorganized sector. The entire e-waste collection and recycling also is a big hurdle in the path of e-waste management. Another major factor is the absence of e-waste handling regulations in India. There is a strong need for the government to have a concrete policy in place to tackle the present e-waste problems,” says Bhattacharyya of HCL Infosystems.

Both the tech vendors and authorized e-waste recyclers are looking forward to some action from the government’s end. There are not many authorized e-waste recyclers in India and the few having the right kind of technology in place are not accessible by the B2B and B2C customers. Ever since the state pollution control board has been granted authority to issue licences to e-waste recyclers, it has become easier to get a licence.

But all those who have got licences do not have the right kind of technology in place.

In a way, even the tech vendors are not able to work with many e-waste recyclers, who are mostly spread across major cities only. Things do not seem to fall in line till the government takes any action and enforces clear IPR and takeback policies. Seeing the current scenario, we can only expect the tech consumers and vendors to be responsible. Seeing some of the inititaives taken by tech vendors gives us hope that in future e-waste recycling would be taken seriously by tech vendors and a huge volume of e-waste would be generated in the formal sector. But it’s still too early to say things will change soon. n

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