In a span of 20 years, the percentage of producer and consumer responsibility towards the take-back policy on lead-acid batteries in India is a mere 30 per cent with awareness on rules comprising an even lower margin. Discussing the level of the long overdue policy of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) that India requires, experts from various sectors who brainstormed on the possible ways forward on Monday, emphasised two major approaches to tackle the issues of waste management in the city and country: putting a complete stop to several products that are harmful to the environment and those which are banned in most countries; along with developing a law that is conducive to creating a society that can create a mindset shift to recycling.

According to Almitra Patel, member of the Supreme Court Committee for Solid Waste Management and one of the panelists in the discussion, there is hardly any compliance to voluntary mandates in the country. The law by itself doesn't work, felt Dr H.C. Sharatchandra, former chairperson for the State Pollution Control Board who added that there is a need for effective mechanisms to enforce these laws.
Reiterating this and the opinion that e-waste rules that will come into effect from 2012 is contradicting the very effort towards sustainability, Kalpana Kar, former member of the Bangalore Agenda Task Force, while stating that in India, the cheapest thing is life, added that conscience capitalism must be created and a partnership role is a key for that.