Creating a Cleaner Future: How Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Can Support E-Waste Management and Electric Cooking in Nepal

By Richard Sieff (Gamos Ltd/MECS) and Pankaj Panjiyar (Doko Recyclers).

Why e-Waste Management Matters.

Nepal is seeing a rapid increase in the use of electric appliances, including for cooking. While this shift supports cleaner and more efficient households, it also creates new challenges. When these devices wear out or break, they become electrical or electronic waste (e-waste)¹, which can be harmful to the environment and health if not properly handled.

According to the UN Global E-Waste Monitor 2024, Nepal generated an estimated 42,000 tons of e-waste in 2023, with an annual growth rate of 18%. Alarmingly, more than 95% of this waste is processed by informal sectors, often using unsafe and environmentally detrimental methods.

That’s why Nepal needs a strong Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system — a proven approach with over 400 schemes worldwide which makes companies responsible for the entire lifecycle of products they put on the market, including their disposal at the end of their useful life.

The EPR Framework.

To support EPR in Nepal, MECS funded the Nepali Social Enterprise, Doko Recyclers to develop a framework for EPR to manage e-waste. Early pioneers in the sector², Doko Recyclers have been at the heart of efforts to improve e-waste management in Nepal.  Building on their earlier MECS study into e-waste practices and repair culture and lessons from other EPR models, the research team engaged policymakers, manufacturers, distributors, waste management organizations (formal and informal), consumers and other relevant stakeholders in the e-waste supply chain to assess the challenges and opportunities for EPR in Nepal.

These insights informed the design of the framework which has a focus on electric cooking (e-cooking) – important given the projected expansion of cooking with electricity which is a national policy priority for the Government of Nepal. The core components of the framework include:

1. Put EPR at the Centre of the Rules EPR means that producers, importers, and sellers of electronic goods must help collect and recycle the products they sell once those items are no longer useful. This approach reduces the burden on local governments and mandates that waste is handled properly. Nepal needs national laws to make EPR a requirement, including for e-Cooking appliances.

2. Make Everyone’s Role Clear EPR works when everyone knows what to do:

• Producers, importers, and electronics brands must finance and manage systems to collect and recycle old products.
• Government authorities must formulate and enforce policies, support infrastructure development, and run public awareness campaigns.
• Consumers should return their old appliances through approved drop-off points or take-back programs.
• Recyclers need to follow safe and environmentally sound practices.
• Informal waste workers should be supported and integrated into the formal recycling system.

3. Build the Right Infrastructure To make EPR work, convenient drop-off points in towns and villages are needed where people can safely dispose of their old devices. In absence of any authorized collection centres, local ward offices can support in temporary collection. Modern recycling centers that can properly handle electronic waste are also needed —not just in Kathmandu, but across the country.

4. Use Smart and Fair Financing Tools EPR can be supported by smart financing tools. For example, small eco-fees added at the time of sale can help fund future recycling³. A national EPR fund can support local collection programs, infrastructure, and training for recyclers.

5. Monitor and Enforce the System It’s not enough to have rules—there must be a way to enforce them. Nepal should set up a digital tracking system to know who is making, importing, collecting, and recycling electronic products. Companies that don’t follow the rules should face penalties.

6. Educate and Empower the Public People need to know why e-waste matters and what they can do. National awareness campaigns and school programs should explain how to dispose of electronics properly. Government workers and recyclers also need training to follow safe and efficient processes.

7. Start with Pilots and Then Scale Up Nepal should begin by testing EPR systems in a few municipalities, focusing first on electric cooking devices. With lessons from these pilot projects, the system can be expanded across the country and cover more kinds of electronic waste.

8. Work Together—Locally and Globally Nepal doesn’t have to do this alone. International organizations, neighbouring countries, and local innovators can help build smart systems, introduce new technology, and share what has worked elsewhere.

What’s the Goal?

The framework provides clear guidelines and actionable strategies to support the effective end-of-life management of e-cooking devices and other e-waste, mitigating the risk of e-waste proliferation, and encouraging sustainable practices. Doko Recyclers will be handing over the framework to the Government of Nepal to ask for their formal acceptance and to implement a dissemination programme to roll the framework out nationally.

The aim is to make sure that Nepal’s shift to electric cooking and modern appliances supports—not harms—our environment and communities. With a strong EPR system, we can reduce pollution, create green jobs, and ensure that electronic waste is safely and sustainably managed.

For more information on the study, the Doko Recyclers final report on the Framework Development for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in E-waste and E-cooking Devices is available on the MECS website.

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¹ Electrical equipment are devices which convert electrical energy into other forms of energy (e.g. heat light or sound). Electronic devices control the flow of electrons to perform a task (e.g. a display panel or electronic thermostat). All electronic devices are also electrical devices, and are therefore a subset.

² For more on Doko Recyclers’ journey, see the Voices of MECS interview with Doko Recycler’s CEO, Pankaj Panjiyar.

³ In Nepal, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is mandatory for industries, with a stipulated percentage of annual profits required to be allocated annually for CSR. The designated CSR funds from electric appliance producers could potentially contribute towards eco-fees, particularly if facilitated by Government regulation.  

Featured image: Summary of key actions to implement Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Image AI generated by S. Batchelor.