New e-waste management guidelines to allow return of old TV, fridge, PCs to sellers

A guideline on the e-waste management is at the final stages, designed to let users return the rundown or expired electronic devices to the sellers or manufacturers. 

Senior CorrespondentShahidul Islam, bdnews24.com
Published : 19 May 2017, 10:05 PM
Updated : 19 May 2017, 10:05 PM

The government is making the guideline to protect the environment from pollution as old electronic devices are dumped haphazardly.

When the guideline is in force, users will be able to return the old and out-of-order devices like TV, fridge, microwave oven, iron, air conditioner, mobile phone, fax machine, camera, DVD player, desktop computer, laptop, notebook, or electronic musical instrument to the sellers.

The manufacturers, assemblers or suppliers will be able to charge the customers up to 5 percent of the price of any good under five categories, including household appliance, information technology and telecommunication device, and the medical instrument, as deposit.

The deposit and the interest on it, counted at regular rate, will be refunded once the sold item is returned.

The guideline will be titled 'Guidelines for Management of Waste from Electrical and Electronic Goods (E-waste)', said Additional Environment Secretary Md Nurul Karim.

He told bdnews24.com that the ministry consulted experts at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) while drafting the guideline.

"Now it will be finalised at an inter-ministerial meeting after taking opinions from all the stakeholders," he said.

It will be sent to the law ministry for vetting and it will be gazetted on clearance.

There is no government account of how much e-waste being disposed of with garbage every year in Bangladesh.

According to research by the Environment and Social Development Organization, 11 million tonnes of e-waste were created in the large cities in 2013-14 fiscal year.

The absence of a proper management format leads 36 toxic chemicals like mercury, lead, zinc, chromium, cadmium, nitrous oxide to mix in the environment.

These can cause cancer, kidney complications, high blood pressure, hormonal problems, and many other diseases, health experts warn.