New Delhi, July 29 -- A wave of litigation by top electronics companies like Samsung, LG, Carrier, Daikin, Havells and Voltas has brought India's 2024 e-waste rules into the spotlight. At the centre of the dispute is a mandatory floor price of Rs.22 per kilogram of e-waste that producers of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) must pay formal recyclers.

EEE producers argue that this raises compliance costs by up to four times compared to the pre-2024 norms, which did not mandate a floor price. Also, they argue, the policy will be environmentally ineffective, as it turns the 'polluter pays' principle into a blunt mechanism.

A March 2024 amendment to India's e-waste rules introduced a floor price as part of the system of Extended Pro...