Greenpeace demands producer responsibility for e-products

Mumbai, Feb 5 (UNI) Greenpeace International, a non-governmental organisation working for environment conservation, today demanded producer responsibility to deal with the growing e-waste.

Hindustan Computers Limited (HCL) has captured the top position in the producer responsibility, according to a report.

Releasing the second version of the ''Indian Guide to Greener Electronics'' here, Greenpeace International Toxics Campaigner Ramapati Kumar said only 10 per cent of the produce returns to the authorised recycling yards.

''The individual producer should take responsibility for the growing e-waste in India, and the producer should track down its products for safe cycling,'' Mr Kumar said.

''The producer should take responsibility for the products they manufacture from producing it, till the end including safe recycling and disposal,'' he added.

The report said around three lakh tonnes of e-waste is being produced annually, and is expected to grow to 1.6 million tonnes by 2012.

Greenpeace International has accused the producers in India not to comply with the international standards on environmental protection and lag behind their global counterparts, who are committed to a greener environment.

Greenpeace International is of the view that the only way to tackle e-waste accumulation is to prevent it at the manufacturing stage and design clean products, free from chemicals, and prevent the workers and others from the hazards of e-waste, in order to be globally competitive.

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