Kerala State Pollution Control Board

A. EPR Portal for Plastic Packaging

Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) regime is under implementation in Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, according to which it is the responsibility of Producers, Importers and Brand-owners to ensure processing of their plastic packaging waste through recycling, re-use or end of life disposal (such asco-processing/Waste-to-energy/Plasticto-oil/roadmaking/industrial-composting).In order to streamline implementation process of EPR, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, in its fourth Amendment to the Plastic Waste Management Rules, dated February 16, 2022, notified ‘Guidelines on Extended Producer Responsibility for Plastic Packaging’ in the Schedule II of the Rules. As per these guidelines, Producers, Importers and Brand Owners (PIBOs) shall have to register through the online centralized portal developed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Accordingly, this portal has been developed to register PIBOs who are operating in more than two States with CPCB and those operating in one or two States/UTs shall be registered with the concerned State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs). PWPs shall also have to register with the concerned SPCB/PCC in accordance with the provisions of the Section 13(3) of the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 on this centralized portal developed by CPCB. The EPR Portal for Plastic Packaging provides provision for registration of PIBOs/ PWPS in accordance with the notified EPR Guidelines. The portal will help in improving accountability, traceability and transparency of fulfilment of EPR Obligations. The portal is planned to have seven modules, which allows registration of PWPs and PIBOs, issue certificates by PWPs & exchange of credits, allows real-time monitoring of transactions between PIBOs and PWPs, allows levy of environmental compensation and provides system generated reports and facilitates filing of annual returns for the stakeholders.

B. EPR Portal for E-Waste

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) of producers are regulated through grant of Registration Certificate and issue Recycling Targets / EPR obligation. For Registration Certificate and Recycling Targets / EPR Obligation producers under these Rules (definition given below) are required to apply on the EPR Portal at the URL eprewastecpcb.in to CPCB. This E-Waste EPR Portal is an online E-Waste Management System, where applicant producers can apply online for grant of Registration Certificate and Recycling Targets / EPR obligation. All the stakeholders like Producer, Recyclers, Refurbishers and Manufacturers are required to register themselves on this system. The CPCB shall generate Extended Producer Responsibility Registration Certificate of Producers through the portal in favour of a Producer on receiving the required information on the portal as per the SOP. The producer shall fulfill their extended producer responsibility through online purchase of extended producer responsibility certificate from registered recyclers only and have to submit it online by filing quarterly return.

‘Producer’ means any person who, irrespective of the selling technique used such as dealer, retailer, e-retailer, etc.

• (i) manufactures and offers to sell electrical and electronic equipment and their components or consumables or parts or spares under its own brand or
• (ii) offers to sell under its own brand, assembled electrical and electronic equipment and their components or consumables or parts or spares produced by other manufacturers or suppliers or
• (iii) offers to sell imported electrical and electronic equipment and their components or consumables or parts or spares.

C. Extended Producer Responsibility Portal under Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022

Battery Waste Management (BWM) Rules, 2022 have been notified by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on 22 Aug., 2022. These rules are applicable to all types of batteries regardless of chemistry, shape, volume, weight, material composition and use. As per these Rules, Producer (manufacturers, importers) shall have the obligation of Extended Producer Responsibility for the battery they introduce in the market and the Producer shall meet the collection and recycling targets as given in Schedule II of the rules to ensure the attainment of EPR obligations.

According to the Rules, Producers, Recyclers, and Refurbishers of Battery shall have to register through the online centralized portal developed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Recyclers and Refurbishers shall also have to register with the concerned SPCB/PCC on this centralized portal developed by CPCB. The portal will help in improving accountability, traceability and transparency of fulfilment of EPR Obligations. This portal would act as the single point data repository with respect to orders and guidelines related to implementation of BWM Rules, 2022.