India Audits E-Waste Recyclers Amid Fraud Claims

India has initiated a comprehensive audit campaign targeting all electronic waste recyclers across the nation. This move aims to eliminate inflated processing claims and forged documentation within the sector, which handles waste for major companies like LG, Apple, and Samsung. The government is concerned that approximately 78% of electronic waste is processed by informal scrap dealers, whose methods can be environmentally damaging.

The directive, issued in July by the Central Pollution Control Board, mandates inspections of over 2,000 recyclers, including 309 specialized electronic waste facilities. This rigorous oversight follows a federal investigation that uncovered appliance manufacturers using fake compliance certificates from a recycler with no actual e-waste processing activity.

Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state, hosts a third of the nation's electronic waste recyclers. The audit campaign includes physical verification of machinery, trial runs, and checks on electricity consumption relative to production claims. Any detected forged or manipulated documents will be considered a major violation, leading to the recycler's disqualification from generating Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) certificates.

This intensified scrutiny is the government's first significant measure for the e-waste industry, which has seen rapid growth with limited oversight. Experts believe this rigorous process will help weed out non-compliant operators and establish a fair playing field for legitimate recyclers.