EPR in India: a practical guide

The five EPR regimes

• Plastic packaging — Plastic Waste Management Rules. Applies to producers, importers and brand owners (PIBOs) and plastic waste processors. Packaging is split into categories (rigid, flexible, multi-layered, compostable), each with its own targets.
• E-waste — E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022. Producers of covered electrical and electronic equipment meet targets through EPR certificates generated by registered recyclers.
• Batteries — Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022. Covers portable, automotive, industrial and electric-vehicle batteries, with collection and recycling targets.
• Tyres — EPR for waste tyres under the Hazardous and Other Wastes Rules.
• Used oil — EPR for used oil, covering producers and importers of base and lubricating oil.

How EPR certificates work

Registered recyclers and processors generate EPR certificates on the CPCB portal for the quantity they process. Obligated producers buy these certificates to meet their annual targets. The market between them is where most compliance cost — and most risk — sits: certificate authenticity, pricing, timing and year-end balancing.

A compliance checklist for producers

1. Confirm which regimes and categories apply to your products and packaging.
2. Register on the relevant CPCB portal(s).
3. Calculate annual obligations from quantities placed on the market.
4. Plan certificate procurement across the year rather than at year-end.
5. Verify recyclers and the certificates you buy.
6. File annual returns on time and keep an audit-ready evidence file.

For recyclers

Registered recyclers can turn processed quantities into certificate revenue. Good records, auditor-ready documentation and access to reliable buyers make the difference.

Airenvo’s EPR compliance & circularity service supports both producers and recyclers, including certificate market facilitation.