realme E-Waste Management Program: For a better future

E-Waste Recycling Policy

E- Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2011 were notified in 2011 and had come into effect since 1st May 2012. realme Mobile Telecommunications (India) Private Limited (“realme”) has effectively implemented E-Waste Rules and very responsibly managed all aspects as per the set rules. We also kept on making regular upgrades to comply all perspective of environmental conservation through partner association for handling and management of electronic and electrical waste, in no ways ending at landfill.

Now, as per the new guidelines, MoEF & CC, Government of India in supersession of E-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 has notified the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 vide G.S.R. 338(E) dated 23.03.2016 which has now been effective from 1st October’2017. These rules are applicable to every producer, consumer or bulk consumer, collection centre, dismantler and recycler of e-waste involved in the manufacture, sale, purchase and processing of electrical and electronic equipment or components specified in Schedule – I of the Rules.

The categories of electrical and electronic equipment namely Mobile Accessories are covered under these rules, within Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Target based approach for implementation of EPR has been adopted in the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016, which stipulate phase wise collection target to producers for the collection of e-waste, either in number or weight for respective category, which shall be CEEW 1 to be calculated and notified henceforth by Central Pollution Control Board. Also, the new targets are to be calculated on the periodic sale as per category under the Life-Cycle fulfilment of each category. And, hence a 10% on target on each following year.

But with sheer pro-activeness and continued guidance from the management, we at realme, within no-time, have updated our systems and processes as per the mandate of E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 and its amendments, which includes specific guidelines for extended producer responsibility, channelization, collection centres, storage, transportation, environmentally sound dismantling and recycling, refurbishment, and random sampling of EEE for testing of RoHS parameters.

E-Waste Collection

realme has solely developed an internal standard procedure for collection and proper recycling of e-waste abiding all aspects of the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 and its amendments. For collection we have made an Internal Training Module to create/spread awareness across all internal and external consumers and even to our vendors / partners.

We also have collectively developed the PAN-India collection mechanism along with our appointed Producer Responsibility Organization, RLG Systems India Pvt. Ltd. The PRO have been given clear mandate to collect e-wastes from respective states as per our internal process and channelize it to authorized dismantles and recyclers for environmentally sound recycling as required by the rules

Any of your electronics sold by us on reaching its specified end-of-life timeline, as per the Product Catalogue / Product Information Docket please drop in an email or call the mentioned.

Collection Centres

realme has been committed to effective collection of all e-waste from PAN-India location and has been managing collection of e-waste using its own collection centres and the collection centres of its appointed PRO. We have been assigning the appointed PRO empanelled by us to collect the cumulative load within 180 days from it been deposited by the consumer. The list of realme collection centres are listed below, and the list of PRO collection centres are available in their website www.cleantogreen.in

Do's and Don’ts

Do's:

• Please check for the life-cycle of your product on the Product Information Booklet.
• Please speak on the mentioned Toll-Free Number for any query about your product take-back or recycle
• Please hand-over e-waste only at the designated collection centre of the Brand.
• Please accumulate all unused electronic and electrical items only to be handed-over to the Brand or Registered Recycler.
• Please acknowledge buy-back and exchange program from the Brand.
• Please drop your scrap electronic parts, handed-back to you after replacement with the new part, at the e-waste drop box in the service centre.
• Please register that as an individual we all have Individual Responsibility towards the conservation of our environment.

Don’t’s:

• Please do not throw any electronics (including batteries) into garbage bin. It must be thrown only on designated bins with symbol
• Please do not sell e-waste to scrap dealers or unauthorised agents for little/some cash.
• Please do not dispose of e-waste in landfill or in pits as an ill-treasure for your next generation
• Please do not open unused electronics without expert supervision, as it can be hazardous.
• Please do not cut-open parts or components without brand representative’s supervision
•  

Health Effects

• When we throw out our electronics, they land up in Landfill causing the possibility of toxic metal leaching into the groundwater. Toxic metals in e-waste leach into our supply of resources, threatening their integrity. When e-waste is openly heated which is a rudimentary process by the un-registered user or scrap dealers, toxic chemicals are released into the air, damaging the atmosphere and posing a serious threat to health and existing life.
• E-Waste management is a critical consideration for future generations as proper e-waste recycling is becoming hard to find, with very less efficient recyclers in the business.
• It is crucial to know effects of e-waste on the environment and make a collective effort to build awareness and systems to curb all its ill positioning for our existing and future generation.
• To know more please call on 1800 103 1460 for more details

Consequences

Improper handling, accidental breakage damage and improper recycling of the end of life product has the following consequences: If batteries are not properly disposed of, it can cause harm to human health or the environment. Placing of batteries or devices on or in heating devices, such as microwave ovens, stoves, or radiators and improper disposal of batteries may lead to explosion. If the battery terminals are in contact with metal objects, it may cause a fire.

FAQs

• What is E-waste?

Any electrical and electronic equipment, whole or in part discarded as waste by the consumer or bulk consumer as well as rejects from manufacturing, refurbishment and repair processes.

• What is EPR

This has been implemented in India for the first time, as per the new E-Waste (Management) Rules 2016, where Extended Producer Responsibility has been bestowed upon the Manufactures, basically companies producing or marketing electronics and electrical items under the respective brand name. Hence, the responsibility is on them to ensure the take-back from the consumer, after it’s end of life as described in the Rules to ensure proper management and disposition with a note to protect the environment.

• How am I being a consumer coved under the new E-Waste Management Rules 2016

Each stakeholder has a separate responsibility as per the E-Waste (Management) Rules 2016, the manufacture, the bulk consumer / Consumer, recycler etc. Now, that Bulk Consumers are enterprise or house of business which uses electronics in bulk for their course of business and hence is also under the rules to ensure compliance, till date for individual consumers there is no such compliance but as a key stakeholder, an individual should support the entire eco-system to ensure protection of the environment. And, is always recommended to encourage group, children, family, friends etc not to dispose e-waste in landfill or hand-over to scrap dealers or unauthorised vendors.

• Why is it important to handle e-waste correctly

E-Waste can pose serious health concerns if not handled properly, metals used in an electronic or electrical product contains hazardous elements like mercury, lead, cobalt etc. If these materials come in contact with your health, in any form through air or water, can be life threatening. And, it is mandatory for all of us to hand-over or dispose e-waste through authorised recyclers or management companies only.

• Where are the collection centers located to drop e-waste

We have a detailed list of locations mentioned under the Collection Center tab as you can refer on our website, E-Waste Management > Collection Center. For our appointed PRO Collection Centre please refer their website

www.cleantogreen.in/Collection Centres

Terms & Conditions Apply:

• Hazardous Waste won’t be collected
• Only E-Waste to be acknowledged
• Product should be radiation free
• Product shouldn’t pose any hazard to handler or collector etc.