A.P. govt. mandates two e-waste collection drives every month

Andhra Pradesh has unveiled a comprehensive Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to streamline the collection and scientific disposal of electronic waste across all 123 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), making twice-monthly e-waste drives mandatory.

An order, issued by the Municipal Administration & Urban Development (MA&UD) Department, addresses the growing concerns over hazardous electronics entering municipal garbage systems.

Under the new SOP issued on Friday, ULBs must conduct e-waste collection drives on the 10th and 20th of every month, supported by designated collection points, strict record-keeping and a dedicated Nodal Officer.

The government stressed that discarded items—mobile phones, computers, cables and household appliances—contain toxic elements that pose long-term environmental and health risks when dumped in landfills.

All e-waste collected must be handed over exclusively to the authorised recycler empanelled by the Swachha Andhra Corporation (SAC). While the State earlier signed an MoU with M/s RE Sustainability Private Limited, only 46 ULBs had complied, prompting the government to establish a uniform framework and tighten monitoring.

The SAC will operate a central dashboard to track ULB-level performance, with monthly and quarterly reporting mandatory. Awareness campaigns in schools, residential colonies and urban neighbourhoods will support the initiative, which will also influence district rankings under the Swarna Andhra Swachha Andhra (SASA) programme.

Principal Secretary (MA&UD) S. Suresh Kumar said the SOP ensures full traceability “from the household to the authorised recycler,” adding that citizen participation is crucial to preventing long-term environmental damage.