India urgently needs a formal recycling policy for its mountain of electronic waste. Boosted by illegally imported discards from the West, this waste is expected to reach a total of around 30 million tonnes by 2020.

Western electronic waste comes largely from countries' weak legislation on its handling and management (G. Agoramoorthy and C. Chakraborty Nature 485, 309; 2012). Although people in India informally recycle an estimated 95% of electronic waste for profit, the practice could soon be overwhelmed.

India's government proposed draft regulations for this waste in June 2015, to be formalized after a public consultation. These are already proving effective, but there is still a pressing need for national policy to alleviate damage to the environment. This would create employment and commercial opportunities, address health and safety concerns, and forge a path towards sustainability.