The Ministry of Environment , Forest and Climate Change issued a notification on January 6th 2025 taking a giant leap in the direction of environmental sustainability with the introduction of the Environment Protection (End-of-Life Vehicles) Rules, 2025.
The new rules, which will come into effect on April 1, 2025, aim to streamline the disposal, recycling, and management of End-of-Life (EOL) vehicles, ensuring a more eco-friendly approach to handling the growing number of old vehicles.
Key Highlights of the New Rules:
1. Who Do the Rules Apply To?
The End-of-Life Vehicles Rules, 2025, impact a range of stakeholders in the automotive industry, including:
- Producers (vehicle manufacturers)
- Registered owners and bulk consumers (e.g., fleet owners)
- Collection centers
- Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities (RVSFs)
- Automated testing stations
However, the rules do not apply to certain categories of waste, including waste batteries, plastic packaging, tires, used oil, and e-waste, which fall under different management rules.
2. Producer Responsibilities: Producers, or vehicle manufacturers, are now required to fulfill Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations. Here’s what they need to do:
- Meet scrapping targets for vehicles introduced to the domestic market.
- Ensure that End-of-Life vehicles are deposited at authorized scrapping facilities or collection centers.
- Offer buy-back or deposit refund schemes to encourage vehicle returns for scrapping.
- Register with the Central Board and maintain annual returns regarding the vehicles sold and scrapped.
3. Registered Owners and Bulk Consumers: Registered owners and bulk consumers (such as fleet operators) have important responsibilities:
- Deposit End-of-Life vehicles at a registered collection center or scrapping facility within 180 days once a vehicle reaches its end-of-life stage.
- Bulk consumers must register with the State Board and file annual returns about the vehicles they own or have scrapped.
4. Collection Centers and Scrapping Facilities:
- Collection centers play a crucial role by collecting End-of-Life vehicles and sending them to Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities.
- Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities (RVSFs) must dismantle vehicles in an environmentally sound manner. Their duties include depollution, material segregation, and sending recyclables to authorized recyclers.
- RVSFs are also responsible for issuing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) certificates to producers based on the amount of processed steel from scrapped vehicles.
5. Automated Testing Stations: Automated testing stations will now be required to upload data on vehicles declared unfit for use, directly feeding into the centralized online portal established by the Central Board.
6. Environmental Compensation: The rules introduce a mechanism for environmental compensation in case producers, RVSFs, or bulk consumers fail to comply with the regulations. This penalty will be used to restore environmental damage caused by improper disposal and recycling practices.
7. Centralized Online Portal: A new centralized online portal will be established to facilitate registration, filing returns, and the exchange of EPR certificates. This portal will also serve as a central data repository for tracking all activities related to End-of-Life vehicle management. Producers, bulk consumers, and scrapping facilities will have to use this platform to ensure compliance with the new rules.
The Rules Introduce the following FORMS
FORM 6: BY BULK CONSUMER [under the Environment Protection (End-of-Life Vehicles) Rules, 2025]
