How to get plastic EPR certificate?

Plastic is relatively inexpensive, durable, flexible, moisture resistant, and easy to carry. Due to its unique properties, it is widely used in industries and for various household purposes. Plastic consumption has increased in recent years, causing a severe impact on the environment and health as well. 

According to a recent report by the Indian government, India has produced around 3.47 metric tons of plastic waste from 2019-2020. With the increasing environmental challenges, several policies have come up to deal with plastic waste management. EPR is one such initiative by the government of India to protect the environment from plastic waste. Extended Producer Responsibility, abbreviated as EPR, has been adopted by many parts of the world to reduce plastic waste. 

According to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), it is the responsibility of producers, importers, and brand-owners to sustainably recycle and dispose of plastic waste without causing any harm to the environment. The detailed guidelines on EPR have been laid down in Schedule II of the 4th Amendment to the Plastic Waste Management Rules. The producers, importers, and brand owners must comply with the EPR guidelines. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has developed an online centralized portal to register and strictly adhere to the guidelines. Specific criteria have been laid out for the registration process; they are listed below:

1. Producers, importers, and brand owners (PIBOs) operating in one or two states must register with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
2. Whereas, PIBOs working in more than two states shall register with the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB). 

Types of Plastic Packaging under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

Plastic packaging has been categorized into 4 different types. The plastic packaging listed must be processed through a plastic waste processor (PWP). If PIBOs act as per the EPR guidelines, a PWP certificate shall be issued to them to fulfil the target set by EPR.
1. Plastic packaging that is rigid in nature.
2. The second category contains plastic packaging with one layer of plastic or multi-layer plastics.
3. The third category includes plastic packaging with multiple layers. In this case, one layer should be plastic, and the other layers can be made of other materials, but not plastic.
4. All the compostable plastic used in carry bags and for packaging purposes falls under the fourth category.

Who can register for the Plastic EPR Certificate under the Centralized CPCB?
Producers, importers, and brand owners can register for plastic EPR. Apart from these, those entities involved in recycling plastic, industrial composting, and turning waste into energy and oil shall register for plastic EPR.

How do I get a Plastic EPR Certificate?

Any PIBOs that generate plastic waste and come under the rules of EPR must register for the EPR certificate. They can visit the CPCB, or State Pollution Control Board, website to get the EPR certificate. However, certain documents are required during the application process. The list of documents needed for plastic EPR registration is listed below:

1. UID along with the passport of an authorized person.
2. GST, or tax invoices for more than two states.
3.  A DIC certificate if the entity has a production facility.
4.  A consent to operate in the case of a production facility. 
5.  Recycler agreement and GST of the entity.

Most importantly, the applicant’s documents will be checked before a certificate is provided to them. The document verification process will take 25 days to complete, and the board must grant the license to the entity within 120 days. Moreover, the Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Board have the authority to cancel the application if the information provided by the applicant is not correct or satisfactory. A public limited company, LLP, proprietary, OPC, and partnership entity are eligible to apply for the plastic EPR certification. 
What are the responsibilities of PIBOs?

Responsibilities of PIBOs that fall under the 5th Amendment, PWM  rules on EPR, July 2022, include:

   Recycle
   Reuse
   Use of content that has been recycled
   End-of-life disposal
   To submit annual returns
   Engagement with other agencies is optional in the collection and recovery of the plastics
   Plastic credits
   PIBOs are free to involve with PROs or any agency to meet their targets, but PIBOs are solely responsible for reporting and fulfilling the EPR targets. 

What is the procedure for EPR Certificate?
Getting an EPR Certificate is a well-defined CPCB process, if the required documents are submitted in the correct format. Here are some steps you need to follow to get an EPR Certificate quickly.   You can apply online for the registration of Plastic Waste Management.
   Attach all the required documents.

   In case of offline registration, submit all the documents along with the form on CPCB Portal.

   Submit the details and information regarding Process flow diagram, Total capacity, Date of commencement of business, Investment, picture of products, Last two years sales data, & Last two years procurement data

   These details are verified by the CPCB and document deficiency, if any, is issued by the CPCB

   Issuance of Plastic EPR Certificate 

Documents Required for Plastic EPR Certificate

GST certificate
Importer Exporter Code (IEC)/Pollution Board CTO
KYC of proprietor or Authorized Signatory
Rent Agreement/Proof of ownership of premises
Details of the plastic materials 
Process flow diagram
Total capacity
Date of commencement of business
Investment
Pic of products
Last two years sales data
Last two years procurement data

Application Fees
The proposed application fee as per the new guidelines has been mentioned below:

Application Fees for Registration of PIBOs

An entity that generates plastic waste less than 10,000 (TPA) is required to pay INR 10,000.
Any unit that comes under the plastic waste generation range of 1000–10,000 shall pay INR 20,000 for the registration of the EPR certificate.
Producers, Importers and Brand Owners with more than 10,000 waste generation units (TPA) must pay INR 50,000 for the registration.

Application Fees for Registration of Plastic Waste Processors (PWPs)
The proposed fee for any PWPs with less than 200 production capacity (TPA) shall pay INR 5000.
Whereas, If the production capacity ranges between 200-2000 TPA, then the processing fee is INR 20,000.
The PWPs with more than 2000 (TPA) production capacity will have to pay INR 50,000.

Plastic waste generation must be taken seriously. Proper implementation of the laws will help to mitigate the harmful effects of plastic on the environment. From production to disposal, proper management of plastic waste ensures to achieve the sustainable goals. Hence, it can be said that initiatives like EPR by the government aid in facing environmental challenges efficiently and effectively.
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