The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) convened the fourth meeting of its Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Appraisal Committee on May 9th, 2024.
The meeting, chaired by the CPCB Chairman, included representatives from central ministries, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), and other relevant organizations.
The CPCB presented an overview of EPR implementation, including details on:
- Producer, Importer and Brand Owner (PIBO) and Plastic Waste Processor (PWP) registration
- EPR certificate generation and transfer
- Annual report filing
- Audits of registered entities
- The ticketing system for addressing concerns
The meeting addressed issues related to EPR implementation, including:
- Delays in annual report filing due to EPR portal maintenance for security upgrades in January-March 2024.
- Timelines for completing registration applications and fulfilling EPR obligations by late registrants.
The committee made the following recommendations:
- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) may consider how MSME producers who registered before a rule amendment (exempting them from EPR obligations) will fulfill their reporting requirements.
- A window until May 31st, 2024, will be provided for PIBOs and PWPs to complete their registration applications on the EPR Portal.
- The deadline for filing annual returns for the 2022-23 financial year by PIBOs and PWPs is extended to May 31st, 2024.
- The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will collaborate with its members to identify challenges related to fulfilling EPR obligations for recycled plastic use and rigid plastic reuse. Following this, the CPCB will organize a stakeholder consultation meeting to address these issues.
