EPR For E-Waste Management

With the increasing population of India comes the rapidly growing E-waste, whose inadequate management has become a headache for the Indian government. And, why wouldn't it be such a case, considering the negative impact that Electronic waste materials have on the health of people and the environment? In fact, not only adults but also children that too in millions are becoming victims of the toxic effects of the waste generated from discarded electronic, and electrical appliances or the IT sector. To get this situation under control, the government of India has been taking initiatives from time to time, and EPR for E-waste Management is one among them. EPR, which stands for Extended Policy Responsibility, is an environmental policy approach that seeks people to realize the responsibility of collecting, storing, treating, or disposing of the electronic waste they generate. The EPR concept, being introduced for the very first time in 2011 has come a long way since then and significantly improved E-waste management in India. Issued by the Central Pollution Control Board, EPR Certification is mandatory to obtain for every producer, importer, manufacturer, and brand owner of electrical equipment in the country. 

EPR Registration for E-Waste Management

What is E-waste? Let’s start with the basic definition. E-waste, which stands for Electronic waste, consists of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), whole or in part discarded as waste by the end users as well as rejects from manufacturing, refurbishment, and repair processes. And, the efficient and sustainable management of this electronic waste is called E-Waste Management. Under it, businesses are required to manage electronic waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transportation, treatment, recycling, and disposal of waste, together with monitoring and regulating the waste management process.

So, what’s the role EPR plays in E-waste Management? 

You surely have heard of the philosophy “Prevention is better than Cure” and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) seems to follow that. Apart from assigning the responsibility of managing E-waste to businesses, it also encourages them to design their products in an environmentally-friendly manner. This gets quite significant as the E-waste is not only toxic but also next to impossible to decompose. This means if businesses start with a sustainable product design for their electronic devices, which can be easily disposed of, then the situation may not get that much worse at the later phases of the product’s life cycles. The significance of EPR Registration for E-waste management can be acknowledged by the fact that companies without the EPR certification aren’t allowed to operate their business activities in India and violation of this rule on the part of any entity can attract legal consequences for it...

• Compliance with Environmental Laws

No person in his right mind would avoid the laws and regulations of the country, especially when their violation can have legal consequences and this is why obtaining EPR certification holds so much value for companies. With EPR registration, companies can conduct their regular business operations in compliance with environmental regulations and norms.

• Bring down the cost of E-Waste Management

Some may find this point contradictory but this is the truth as you see often when it comes to E-waste management, hundreds of businesses fail to find the correct way, or get confused about where to start, and end up losing their hard-earned resources. EPR certification offers them the right guidance on how to collect, transport, recycle, or dispose of discarded E-waste materials, that too affordably and sustainably. It urges businesses to opt for more environmentally friendly designs for their products and operations, so they don’t need to burn their pockets later on due to unnecessary waste management expenses.

• Preserve Environment

Another benefit is the protection that EPR registration offers to the environment as it makes the businesses responsible to take care of their electronic waste from the inception to the last stage. 

With EPR certification, the Indian government has taken the chaotic situation of waste generated under control to a certain extent and waved the path for sustainable development. 

• Improve the Company’s Reputation

What’s better than contributing to the betterment of the environment and improving your company’s reputation in the market at the same time, right? Many companies have made their images better among their audience by obtaining EPR for E-waste management and the reason behind this is simple - EPR registration shows how dedicated and committed a company is to the environment and the welfare of people.

Now that we know what EPR is and the benefits of EPR for E-waste management, let’s take a look at the key responsibilities prescribed under the recently implemented E-waste Management Rules 2022. One thing to be pointed out is that registration on the EPR portal for E-Waste management is mandatory for the majority of the stakeholders involved. 

Manufacturers Responsibilities

As per the E-Waste Management Rules 2022, the followings are the responsibilities a manufacturer must fulfill - 

• Effective collection and recycling/ disposal of E-waste generated during the manufacturing of any electrical and electronic equipment.
• Filing of annual and quarterly returns as per the prescribed format on or before the end of the month succeeding the quarter or year depends on the type of return. 

Producers Responsibilities

Producers of electrical and electronic equipment listed in Schedule 1 have the following responsibilities - 

• Obtain and achieve Extended Producer Responsibility obligations given in Schedule III and Schedule IV.
• Create awareness about E-Waste Management with the help of media, publications, advertising, posters, etc.
• Filing of annual and quarterly returns as per the prescribed format.

Refurbishers Responsibilities

• Collecting E-waste produced while the refurbishing process (improves the quality of used electronic goods) and handing it over to the registered recycler.
• Upload the information regarding the same on the EPR portal for E-waste Management. 
• Make sure that the refurbished electronic goods meet the prescribed standards of quality and safety.
• Filing of annual and quarterly returns as per the prescribed format.

Bulk Consumer Responsibilities in E-waste

• Bulk Consumers (Including certain Public Companies and Healthcare facilities) of electrical goods listed in Schedule I must hand over the e-waste they produce only to the registered producer, refurbisher, or recycler.

Recyclers Responsibilities

• Ensure the recycling facility and the processes involved conform to the standards and guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Board. 
• Ensure the residue that is left after the recycling process gets effectively disposed of in an authorized TSDF (Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facility).
• Keep records on how much E-waste is collected, dismantled, recycled, and sent to the registered recycling facility and make sure of their availability for purposes, such as verification, audit, etc.
• Filing of annual and quarterly returns as per the prescribed format.
• Accept and recycle the discarded electrical goods (except radioactive materials) not listed in Schedule I. Upload the information regarding the same on the EPR portal. 
• Create Awareness about E-waste management through different means of communication. 
• Keep an account for the e-waste that is not recycled or disposed of and upload the information regarding the same on the portal EPR for E-waste management.

Under the E-Waste Management Rules of 2022, there is a time limit set for the storage of electronic waste, or we can say, E-waste by the involved stakeholders, including Manufacturers, Producers, Refurbishers, and Recyclers. As per these recent rules, these stakeholders must not store any quantity of E-waste for more than a duration of one hundred and eighty days. Besides this, they are required to maintain records on the sale, transfer, and storage of e-waste materials and ensure the availability of these records at the time of inspections by the government authorities. 

Some may wonder “What about the process that requires the storage of E-waste for a longer period compared to the prescribed one?” Well, there are also provisions for such situations.

When a process is being developed for recycling or reuse of that e-waste, under such conditions, the Central Pollution Control Board may consider and allow the extension of the time limit for the storage to three hundred and sixty-five days. Remember, the transportation process of e-waste must also conform to the provisions of Hazardous & Other Waste (Management & Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016.

Documents Must for EPR Certificate for E-Waste Management

• Importer-Exporter Code (IEC)
• GST Certificate issued by the GST department.
• Documents regarding the sole proprietor or authorized signatory KYC.
• Rent or lease proof of the business facility (as proof of ownership)
• Information regarding imported products on an Excel sheet.
• Sales Data

• Go to the website of the Central Pollution Control Board.
• Get FORM 1 and fill it out with details related to you as an applicant and the business/facility.
• Remember to fill out the asked details associated with the E-waste generated and managed as per different item-wise, alongside the estimated goal of collection you have for the next year.
• Attach all the asked documents to Form 1.
• After that, your application will be forwarded to the officials of the Central Pollution Control Board for verification purposes.
• If the submitted documents and information get verified by the officials, the CPCB will grant you a certificate of EPR for E-waste Management.

Cancellation of EPR for E-Waste Management

Remember, if any business entity is found to be violating the environmental laws, including the Environmental Protection Act of 1986 and E-Waste Management Rules 2022, then the Central Pollution Control Board is empowered to suspend its certificate of EPR for E-waste Management. Within twenty-five days of such action by the CPCB, the responsible business entity would get a notification informing the same. Here, the CPCB is also under an obligation to provide that business entity with an opportunity to contest the suspension or cancellation of the EPR certificate.

In India, hundreds and thousands of people wake up every day with a vision, that is to have a successful business of their own. Running a business undoubtedly takes a lot of effort and dedication, but apart from that, it also requires the right guidance. And, that’s what Corpseed ITES is all about. Being India’s leading environmental and legal advisory firm, Corpseed ITES helps people achieve their aims. At Corpseed ITES, our professionals have years of experience and expertise in environmental laws and regulations and have already assisted tons of businesses to get their EPR certificates. We believe in collective efforts and inclusive growth, and that’s the reason we offer assistance to our clients at every stage of their entrepreneurship journey.  

How to contact Corpseed ITES to get EPR for E-Waste Management? 

To get assistance from Corpseed ITES for EPR for E-Waste Management, all you need to do is raise an inquiry on our website or you can directly call us. Our Professionals will not only sort out all your queries but also offer you an understanding of the compliances applicable to your business, that too free of cost. 

Reasons to Choose Corpseed

• Teams of experts with years of experience with India’s rules and regulations.
• Always works for the benefit of the clients. 
• Make clients understand the regulatory framework requirements to ensure they get a clear understanding of the entire process.
• An all-time record of flawless and affordable services to hundreds and thousands of entrepreneurs.
• Ensure compliance with the regulations and norms. 
• Assured delivery of all government licenses and registrations in a limited time frame.

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