The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC) has issued a notice regarding the registration of Producers, Importers & Brand-Owners (PIBOs) and Plastic Waste Processors (PWPs) on the Centralized Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Portal for Plastic Packaging. This notice was issued on March 14, 2024.
The guidelines on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Plastic Packaging were notified by MoEFCC through the fourth amendment to the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules on February 16, 2022. According to these regulations, PIBOs and PWPs are mandated to register on the centralized EPR Portal, developed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), to fulfill their EPR liability as outlined in the guidelines.
PIBOs are required to obtain registration from CPCB if they operate in more than two States/Union Territories (UTs), and from the concerned State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) / Pollution Control Committee (PCC) if they operate in one or two States/UTs only. Similarly, PWPs are required to obtain registration from the concerned SPCBs/PCCs.
The EPR Portal was launched on April 05, 2022, and since then, 36,230 PIBOs and 2,351 PWPs have successfully registered on the portal. However, it has come to the notice of authorities that several PIBOs & PWPs are still operating without obtaining the necessary registration from CPCB/SPCB/PCC, which is a clear violation of the provisions of the PWM Rules 2016 (as amended).
In light of this, a notice has been issued to all PIBOs & PWPs to ensure compliance with the regulations. PIBOs & PWPs who have not yet applied for registration are directed to submit their registration applications, complete in all respects, on the EPR Portal by March 31, 2024. Guidance Manual and the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for registration of PIBOs/PWPs, uploaded on the EPR Portal, are available for reference.
It is emphasized that necessary action, as deemed appropriate under the Environment (Protection Act), 1986, including the levying of Environmental Compensation and closure of operations, shall be taken against defaulters. This notice serves as a reminder of the collective responsibility towards environmental stewardship and urges stakeholders to adhere to the prescribed guidelines for sustainable plastic waste management.
