Informality in E-Waste Processing: An Analysis of the Indian Experience

This article examines the role of the informal economy in e-waste management in India employing field research conducted in the National Capital Region in 2011/12. It analyses the spatial linkages of the Indian e-waste industry with the international network of waste transfer and treatment using the global production network (GPN) framework. The article asserts that an understanding of the nature and functions of the informal sector, based on its theoretical foundations, enriches the global value chain (GVC) and GPN analyses. This is demonstrated through an analysis and discussion of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) production and processing and the (in)efficacy of legislation regulating these activities. Finally, the article locates Indian waste processing within the global architecture of e-waste movement and management and reflects on diverse perceptions of waste.