Why EPR Certificate is Important in India?

Waste management is important to reduce the impact of plastic waste on the environment. The EPR registration ensures that businesses must take responsibility for products after they are no longer useful for the consumers.  

In India, the government is taking several steps to implement the EPR regulations to resolve the concerns. So, now the businesses included in plastic products need EPR certification. What an EPR means is discussed in the article.

What is Extended Producer Responsibility in India?

The EPR stands for Extended Producer Responsibility. It is an environmental protection policy that the producer must follow. After the completion of the product lifecycle, the producer follows the guidelines from the raw material used to the final disposal. 

So, this means that the manufacturing and selling of the product are not the only responsibility of the producer but they are also responsible for the management of after-product usage. This includes:

• Designing products for easy recycling
• Collecting and then recycling used products
• Dispose of the products in an environment-friendly way.

However, the goal of EPR is to reduce the amount of waste generated through plastic products. This increases the rate of recycling and reduces the impact of products on the environment.

Guidelines Shared by Ministry for EPR

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has notified the guidelines. These guidelines are on EPR about plastic packaging under Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. So, the framework of these guidelines promotes the following: 

• Development of new alternatives to plastic and provides further steps to encourage sustainable plastic packaging by businesses.
• Use plastic packaging again to reduce the fresh usage of plastic packaging.
• Implementation of EPR will be done through a customised online platform that acts as a digital backbone of the system.
• Checking the EPR obligations for reducing the compliance burden from companies through the online registration system.

The motive of the guidelines is to improve the quality of products and protect the environment from pollution. However, the funds that are collected will be used for recycling, disposal of uncollected plastic waste, etc. This helps in the further development of the plastic waste management sector.

Importance of EPR Registration

The following are the benefits of EPR registration and these are as follows:

• The guidelines put effort on the producers to manufacture environment-friendly products and reduce pollution. 
• Taking responsibility for the environment enhances the brand image and attracts consumers. This can create a competitive edge in the market.
• Avoid penalties and other legal issues by adhering the government regulations.
• Safety of consumers with reliable products, that make sure the management of product after consumer usage.
• Businesses make more sustainable products that comply with the law and make choices based on the environment.
• Promotes recovery, recycling and reducing dependence on raw material and minimises the depletion of natural resources.

However, the EPR policies helped increase recycling activities and showed an impact on controlling pollution. The manufacturers, producers, importers or authorised recyclers must obtain an EPR certificate.

Conclusion

The Producers, Importers & Brand Owners (PIBOs) must have EPR registration and certification. However, the government is working on the implementation of product responsibility in India. So, obtaining an EPR certificate is important.

At Registrationwala, we assist you in obtaining an EPR authorization or certificate. Our consultation team helps you in the registration process from documentation to the final grant of the license. Also, the team will handle the follow-up process on your behalf for a smooth certification process flow. So, contact us if you want an EPR certificate or have any queries.

Author: Dushyant Sharma

Hey there, I'm Dushyant Sharma. With the extensive knowledge I've gained in past 8 years, I have been creating content on various subjects such as banking, insurance, telecom, and all the important registration and licensing processes for various companies. I'm here to help everyone with my expertise in these areas through my articles.