Overview

• LG and Samsung have filed lawsuits in Delhi High Court challenging India's e-waste recycling rules, which mandate fixed payments to recyclers.
• The regulations require electronics companies to pay Rs 22 per kg for consumer electronics and Rs 34 per kg for smartphones, significantly raising costs.
• India's government defends the policy as necessary to attract formal recyclers, curb hazardous informal practices, and boost recycling rates from the current 43%.
• LG and Samsung argue that the rules unfairly burden manufacturers and fail to address enforcement gaps in regulating informal recyclers.
• Blue Star has joined the legal challenge, while Johnson Controls-Hitachi has withdrawn its lawsuit without explanation.