Electronic waste (e-waste) management is rapidly emerging as one of Nepal’s most urgent environmental challenges. With the booming use of electronic products and a surging market for electric vehicles, Nepal is seeing exponential increases in hazardous waste streams. However, Nepal still lacks comprehensive national legislation and infrastructure to safely and sustainably manage e-waste. Despite these challenges, the country holds great potential to become a pioneer in Asia’s e-waste management through strategic policy adoption, formalized recycling, green job creation, and public awareness — all needing coordinated action.
The Growing E-Waste Burden in Nepal
According to the UN Global E-Waste Monitor 2024, Nepal generated roughly 42,000 tons of e-waste in 2023, with an annual growth rate of 18% driven by consumer electronics and electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Kathmandu— Nepal’s largest urban center — faces an acute crisis due to insufficient collection mechanisms and recycling facilities. Most e-waste is currently handled by the informal sector through unsafe methods including open burning and manual extraction of precious metals, causing serious environmental pollution and health hazards.risingnepaldaily+3
Electric vehicles are adding a new dimension to the crisis. Batteries from EVs, especially lithium-ion types, contain heavy metals such as cobalt, nickel, and manganese that are toxic if not processed properly. With the EV market expanding rapidly — nearly 77% of new vehicles were electric in Nepal’s recent fiscal year — Nepal faces an urgent need to establish protocols and facilities capable of managing this complex waste stream safely.nepalitimes
Nepal’s Policy Landscape: Gaps and Opportunities
Nepal currently relies on the National Waste Management Policy 2022 and Solid Waste Management Act 2011 for waste governance, but neither provides specific, dedicated regulations for e-waste. This policy gap hampers formal sector growth, complicates enforcement, and limits incentives for private industry to develop recycling infrastructure.aepc+1
Though the Nepal Telecommunication Authority introduced some e-waste management initiatives years ago, progress has stalled, underscoring the need for a comprehensive national e-waste law incorporating Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) principles. EPR would hold producers accountable for take-back and recycling activities, incentivizing better product design and responsible disposal.mecs+2
According to stakeholders like Doko Recyclers — Nepal’s pioneering e-waste management company — formal policies aligned with globally recognized frameworks are critical for legitimizing the sector and scaling operations.repic+1
Building a Safer, Formal E-Waste Value Chain
The informal sector collects most e-waste but lacks hazard controls, leading to contamination of soil, water, and air and affecting vulnerable populations including women and children. Creating a formalized value chain linking scrap collectors, segregators, recyclers, and exporters is vital.isca+1
Municipalities such as the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) have started pilot projects to organize e-waste collection into clusters for efficient handling and sent tenders for Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) to manage e-waste separately from other wastes. Extending such models nationally can improve waste segregation and recycling rates.risingnepaldaily
Public-private partnerships can facilitate the development of specialized recycling plants to manage hazardous materials and extract valuable components safely, reducing net waste and environmental harm.arkostore
Public Awareness and Capacity Building
Raising public awareness about e-waste hazards and proper disposal methods is critical since consumers play a key role in ensuring waste enters appropriate collection streams. Education campaigns, stakeholder workshops, and collaborations with schools to foster a “culture of repair and reuse” help reduce e-waste generation and promote responsible consumer behavior.repic
Training vocational workers and technicians in e-waste handling and recycling can both professionalize the sector and generate green jobs for youth—a win-win for economic and environmental goals.undp+1
Leveraging Technology and Innovation
Nepal has opportunities to harness technology such as e-commerce platforms for second-hand electronics to extend product life, as well as digital tracking systems for e-waste collection to increase transparency and efficiency. Refurbishing initiatives like Doko’s Repair Lab demonstrate how innovation can scale impact and trust in reused items.repic
Nepal can also explore regional partnerships for recycling complex waste streams and eventually develop domestic capacities for lithium-ion battery recycling, critical for the electric vehicle age.nepalitimes
Conclusion
E-waste management in Nepal stands at a crossroads — facing increasing waste volumes, limited policy frameworks, and nascent formal infrastructure. Yet, with prompt enactment of dedicated e-waste legislation incorporating Extended Producer Responsibility, strengthening formal recycling networks, fostering public awareness, and investing in green jobs, Nepal can lead Asia in sustainable and innovative e-waste management. This leadership would not only mitigate serious environmental and public health risks but also position Nepal as a model for responsible electronic consumption and waste management in the region.
Green Smith Nepal can play a pivotal role in this transformation by advocating policy reforms, collaborating with stakeholders, and educating communities to build a cleaner, healthier future.
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References:
- https://risingnepaldaily.com/news/54486
- https://www.repic.ch/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/2020.04_SB_Myclimate_Nepal_vf.pdf
- http://koteshworcampus.edu.np/storage/download/01JF7RP7DT44VY5VA4B2WHZREN.pdf
- https://www.isca.me/IJENS/Archive/v11/i4/5.ISCA-IRJEvS-2022-001.php
- https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/waste-not-want-not
- https://www.aepc.gov.np/doc/review-of-solar-pv-e-waste-in-nepal-posted-working-paper
- https://mecs.org.uk/blog/creating-a-cleaner-future-how-extended-producer-responsibility-epr-can-support-e-waste-management-and-electric-cooking-in-nepal/
- https://dokorecyclers.com/project/readiness-assessment-to-inform-the-development-and-implementation-of-an-extended-producer-responsibility-epr-policy-for-e-waste-in-nepal/
- https://arkostore.com/blogs/arkostore-a-strategic-perspective-on-e-waste-management
- https://www.endplasticwaste.org/what-we-do/projects/creasion-prayaash
- https://www.undp.org/nepal/projects/green-job-creation-through-recycling-and-upcycling
- https://np.linkedin.com/jobs/environmental-jobs
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