Extended Producer Responsibility

What is EPR?

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy strategy aimed at increasing the incentives for different brand owners, producers, and importers to manufacture environmentally friendly products. EPR encompasses the management of all costs related to environmental waste and the production of various products, from the product’s validity to its market price.

Under EPR, the government manages post-consumer waste management responsibilities, which are generally imposed on brand owners, producers, and importers who must adhere to the guidelines provided by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

EPR uses economic incentives to encourage manufacturers to develop eco-friendly products by holding producers accountable for managing the budget costs of their products at the end of their validity or life. This policy approach differs from product administration, which only requires the responsible party to keep records of the product.

EPR aims to reduce the costs of managing selective priority products by demanding that manufacturers incorporate the cost of recycling into the product price. This is based on the principle that manufacturers, especially brand owners, have significant control over product design and marketing and therefore have the greatest ability and responsibility to reduce toxicity and waste in the environment.

Timeline

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The rules governing the manufacture and use of recycled plastic bags and containers were established in 1999. In 2011, the Plastic Waste Management and Handling Rules were introduced, which required municipal authorities to establish plastic waste collection centers with financial support from producers.

In 2016, the Plastic Waste Management Rules replaced the previous law and held producers accountable for managing plastic waste throughout the country. The Draft Guideline Document for a Uniform Framework for EPR was introduced in 2020, with the goal of creating a brand and geography-neutral national framework.

On March 11, 2021, a proposal was made to amend the PMW rules of 2016 and ban single-use plastic on a PAN India basis. On March 23, 2021, a standard operating procedure (SOP) was proposed for online registration of PIBOs under the Plastic Waste Management Rules of 2016.

The most recent development in this area was the introduction of the Plastic Waste Management Rules in 2022, which called for a reduction or ban on the use of single-use plastic and the increased consideration of recycled plastic usage on a PAN India basis.

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EPR for Plastic Waste is Applicable for:

  1. Producers of Plastic Packaging
  • Producers of plastic packaging are obligated to follow the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) guidelines for managing plastic waste generated from their products.

 

  1. Manufacturers and Producers of Different Products
  • Manufacturers and producers of various products, materials, and goods are responsible for managing plastic waste generated from their products.

 

  1. Importers of Plastic Packaging and Plastic-Packaged Products
  • Importers of plastic packaging or plastic-packaged products are required to comply with the EPR guidelines for managing plastic waste generated from their imported products.

 

  1. Brand Owners
  • Owners of different brands and companies producing various products are responsible for managing the plastic waste generated from their products under the EPR guidelines.

 

  1. Plastic Waste Processors
  • Plastic waste processors are responsible for managing non-biodegradable plastic waste and disposing of hazardous and chemical waste generated from plastic products.

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Policy Emphasizes on:

  1. Reuse and Cogeneration
  • Obliged entities should make efforts to reuse or cogenerate different sources and resources to reduce the use of virgin plastic and use waste as an energy resource during production.
  1. Recycling
  • As per CPCB’s EPR guidelines, entities must recycle their plastic packaging waste and hand it over to the respective plastic waste recycling companies.
  1. Use of Recycled Plastic Materials
  • All entities should manage and aim to use recycled plastic products and materials to save resources and cut costs.
  1. End-of-Life Disposal
  • Entities must follow the CPCB’s guidelines for the management and disposal of end-of-life waste materials and hand it over to the respected plastic waste processors or end-of-life disposers.

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Categories of Plastic Waste Covered under Policy.

  • Solid or Rigid Plastic Packaging: This type of packaging contains high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) used in making various products such as plastic packaging sheets, household products, automobile parts, fibers, and textiles.

  • Stretchable or Flexible Plastic Packaging: Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a third most-produced plastic globally and is available in two forms, solid and stretchable. PVC is used in making covering sheets for food, credit cards, ATM cards, and debit cards.

  • Multilayered Plastic Packaging: This packaging is made using layers of low-density plastics and metals and is ideal for food packaging purposes. Multilayered plastic packaging is a useful product for storing food, beverages, and other products.

  • Plastic Sheets or Polythene Carry Bags: Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is a flexible and stretchable plastic used for making plastic sheets, packaging films, wraps, and carry bags. LDPE is used in manufacturing dispensary bottles, containers, and washable bottles.

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Stakeholders & Their Roles and Responsibilities:

Financial Incentives for PIBOs: The government is providing financial incentives to Producers, Importers, and Brand-owners (PIBO) for collecting, processing, and recycling plastic waste. They are working on modalities for a plastic waste collection system based on EPR and involving State Urban Development Departments.

Responsibilities of PRO: Plastic Recycling Organizations (PRO) are responsible for plastic waste collection and transport, compliance documents, creating awareness, recycling through an authorized recycler, certification, and easy channelization of materials and documents throughout the entire roadmap of processing the collected plastic waste into a resource.

Role of Urban Local Body: The Urban Local Body is responsible for the collection of door-to-door waste, segregation of waste into recyclables and non-recyclables, and the monitoring/regulating bodies, such as CPCB/SPCB/ULBs/Third-Party Auditors.

Consumer Responsibility: Consumers are responsible for source segregation, which includes using the 2-bin system for separating recyclables and non-recyclables.

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Registration and Authorization Procedure for the Entities:

The registration process is as follows:

Steps for EPR Compliance:

  1. Register with CPCB/SPCB.

  2. Authorized Waste Management Agency collects waste.

  3. Submit relevant documents as proof of waste collection.

  4. Brands must submit quarterly reports to CPCB.

  5. Waste Management Agency must submit annual reports to Brands.

Visit our website, https://eprcertificate.online/ for more information.