The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has announced the implementation of Environmental Compensation (EC) Guidelines under the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022. These guidelines will be applicable to producers, recyclers, and refurbishers involved in the battery waste management process. These guidelines were published through a notice dated September 10, 2024.
The Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022, were notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in August 2022. The rules mandated the CPCB to develop guidelines for imposing and collecting environmental compensation from non-compliant entities.
Development of Guidelines
The CPCB formed a committee to develop the EC guidelines, consulting with stakeholders and industry experts. The draft guidelines were presented and discussed during the 3rd Implementation Committee meeting on August 2, 2024. The CPCB submitted the EC guidelines to the MoEF&CC for approval on August 22nd, 2024.
The MoEF&CC has now granted its concurrence to the guidelines, effective September 9, 2024.
Key Aspects of the Guidelines
The EC guidelines outline the procedures for calculating and imposing environmental compensation on entities that fail to comply with the Battery Waste Management Rules.
These Guidelines will be applicable to producers, recyclers, refurbishers and entities involved in collection, segregation and treatment of Waste Battery.
The guidelines detail the specific criteria for determining the amount of compensation.
The guidelines divide the EC to be levied on producers, recyclers, refurbishers into two regimes:
(i) EC Regime 1 – In this regime, EC will be levied to the Producers for non-fulfilment of metalwise EPR Targets.
(ii) EC regime 2 – In this regime, EC will be levied to any entity for non-compliances of BWM
Rules, 2022
The CPCB will be responsible for implementing and enforcing these guidelines.
The introduction of the EC guidelines is a step towards ensuring proper management of battery waste and promoting environmental sustainability in India.
