UPSC Prelims 2021 Q16: R2 Code of Practices — Explained
'R2 Code of Practices' constitutes a tool available for promoting the adoption of
- environmentally responsible practices in electronics recycling industry
- ecological management of 'Wetlands of International Importance' under the Ramsar Convention
- sustainable practices in the cultivation of agricultural crops in degraded lands
- 'Environmental Impact Assessment' in the exploitation of natural resources
Answer: (a) environmentally responsible practices in electronics recycling industry
Statement-wise explanation
- a: correct — R2 means 'Responsible Recycling'. It is a voluntary certification standard for electronics recyclers and refurbishers. It began in the US in 2008 as the EPA-backed 'Responsible Recycling (R2) Practices for Use in Accredited Certification Programs for Electronics Recyclers', and SERI (Sustainable Electronics Recycling International) now maintains it. The current version, R2v3, came out in July 2019 and covers environmental protection, worker health and safety, data security and accountability for downstream buyers of e-waste.
- b: incorrect — Wetlands of International Importance are managed through the Ramsar Convention's own tools. These are the 'wise use' principle, management plans for listed sites, and the Montreux Record, a register of Ramsar sites where ecological character is changing. None of them is called an R2 code.
- c: incorrect — R2 has nothing to do with farming. Sustainable cultivation on degraded land is handled through land-degradation-neutrality work under the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and through national soil and watershed programmes. The 'R' in R2 stands for recycling, not restoration or rehabilitation of land.
- d: incorrect — In India, Environmental Impact Assessment is a legal requirement under the EIA Notification, 2006, issued under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. It applies to projects such as mining, and it is a government clearance process. R2 is different: it is a private, voluntary certification that an industry body audits, and its subject is how a recycler runs its facility.
How to eliminate
This question can only be solved by knowing the fact. Nothing in the wording points to the answer, and no option uses an absolute word. The fact to remember is that R2 = Responsible Recycling, a certification for electronics recyclers. One clue helps a little: 'Code of Practices' sounds like an industry standard that facilities voluntarily adopt and get audited against. Option (d) describes EIA, a statutory process, which does not fit that description, so you can rank it lower. Ramsar sites are managed under the Convention's own system, which makes (b) less likely. Remember R2 alongside the other e-waste certification, e-Stewards, which the Basel Action Network runs.
Know more
Electronics recycling and certification standards
E-waste (old phones, computers, TVs, batteries) contains valuable metals like gold, copper and palladium. It also contains hazardous ones like lead, mercury and cadmium. Informal recycling releases these toxins through open burning and acid baths. Voluntary certifications let buyers check that a recycler handles e-waste safely.
| Standard | Run by | Key points |
|---|---|---|
| R2 (Responsible Recycling) | SERI, USA (began with US EPA support, 2008) | Environment, health and safety, data destruction, downstream accountability; R2v3 released July 2019 |
| e-Stewards | Basel Action Network | Stricter; bans export of hazardous e-waste to developing countries |
India's legal framework
- E-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011: first dedicated rules.
- E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016: brought producers under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) with collection targets, added CFLs and other mercury lamps, and introduced Producer Responsibility Organisations. Effective 1 October 2016; collection targets revised in 2018.
- E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022: in force from 1 April 2023, with registration on a CPCB portal and an EPR system for recycling.
Scale of the problem: The UN-backed Global E-waste Monitor 2020 found the world generated a record 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste in 2019, and only 17.4% was documented as properly collected and recycled. India was third with about 3.2 million tonnes, after China and the US.
Exam angle: The Basel Convention (1989) controls cross-border movement of hazardous waste, including e-waste. R2 and e-Stewards are private standards. EPR is a legal duty.
In the news
The R2v3 standard came out in July 2019, and recyclers were moving to it through 2020–21. In July 2020 the Global E-waste Monitor reported a record 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste in 2019, with India the third-largest generator. Both put electronics recycling standards in the news before the 2021 exam.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Extended producer responsibility: India's e-waste rules use EPR. Contrast this legal duty on producers with voluntary recycler certifications such as the code in the question.
- Circular economy: Recycling standards for electronics are a circular-economy tool for recovering materials from discarded devices.
- Ramsar Convention: One option invokes the Ramsar Convention's 'Wetlands of International Importance'. Know what tools that treaty actually uses.