EPR for Environment Protection (End-of-Life Vehicles) Rules, 2025

The end-of-life vehicle or ELV is any car that can no longer be driven. Normally, ELVs are wrecked or destroyed vehicles, and removing such cars from the road has been considered imperative. At such times, ELVs should be recycled. Most of the parts are recyclable such as metal, glass, and plastic. It will reduce waste for the environment. Special places are identified as recycling centres. They remove harmful materials. Recycling old cars saves resources, which is a help in producing new products.

What is EPR for Environment Protection (End-of-Life Vehicles) Rules, 2025?

The Environment Protection (End-of-Life Vehicles) Rules, 2025, are announced as of January 6, 2025, effective from April 1, 2025. These rules effectively manage old or unfit vehicles that do not pose road safety risks, ensuring that their end-of-life is environmentally sustainable. Owners must take their aged vehicles to the Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility (RVSF) for scrapping 180 days from the date a vehicle is notified as unfit. 

Manufacturers also have roles, including supporting the recycling of parts and purchasing certificates as evidence of adherence to the standards. The ultimate objective is the elimination of waste while increasing recycling that does not contribute to pollution on Earth. It's a big step toward greener futures for all vehicles.

EPR is vital for the environment as well as others. This practice ensures that old vehicles are properly dealt with in managing to have a cleaner, healthier, and sustainable world.

• EPR reduces waste: Extended Producer Responsibility makes automobile producers responsible for what happens to their vehicles once they are discarded. They will be obliged to help recycle used cars rather than let them waste.
• Promotes recycling: The EPR rules enforce recycling as manufacturers are mandated to fulfil definite recycling targets. This ensures that materials from the old vehicles are recycled and not wasted, such as metals and plastics.
• Certificates show compliance: Manufacturers have to purchase EPR certificates from scrapping facilities showing their operations for recycling old vehicles are proper. The system allows everyone to understand the tasking performance of companies in recycling.
• Protects environment: EPR will ensure proper disposal of aged cars, thus preserving the environment by cutting down the emissions and toxicity since harmful stuff will never land in dumping yards or directly on the grounds.
• Clear-cut responsibilities: All of the involved persons, who either produce automobiles, own a car, or handle scrapping business, come to know how their duties and rights are properly demarcated according to regulations.

Who Needs EPR for Environment Protection (End-of-Life Vehicles)?

Some people who need EPR for environmental protection (End-of-Life Vehicles) and think this is important for them are:

• Car manufacturers: Producers of cars have to follow EPR to see that the older cars are disposed of suitably.
• Importers: Individuals importing cars from other countries need to ensure these cars are handled in the best way possible when their time is up.
• Selling dealers: Car dealers must ensure that end-of-life vehicles are scrapped in an eco-friendly manner.
• Registered owners: People who privately own cars must ensure that their old vehicles are handed over to authorized scrapping centres.
• Bulk consumers: Companies with more than 100 vehicles, such as delivery companies, must implement EPR policies to manage their fleet's end-of-life vehicles.
• Recycling companies: Companies recycling parts from old cars need to follow the guidelines for the safe and effective recycling of such vehicles.
• Registered vehicle scrapping facilities: Their businesses have to scrappy in a safe manner, efficient manner, and environmentally friendly manner.

• Producer

Vehicle producers have critical functions under the Environment Protection (End-of-Life Vehicles) Rules, 2025. The principle of recycling old vehicles includes the targeting of certain recycling provisions. It encourages owners to take their old vehicles to recycling centres and reward them accordingly. Producers must register with the Central Board to report data about vehicles annually, besides making efforts for public awareness about recycling.

• Registered owners and bulk consumers

They must also ensure the vehicle is duly tested under the Motor Vehicles Act. If any vehicle is declared as End-of-Life, such vehicle shall be taken to any registered facility within 180 days and the bulk consumer has to submit the online registrations and annual return regarding the number of vehicles operated.

• Collection centres

Collection centres are very important for this process. They collect and store the ELVs before handing them over to the Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility. The centre must safely handle the vehicle in order not to harm the environment and keep track of all vehicles received and those sent for scrapping.

• Automated testing stations

They will have to upload information on cars that are not safe for usage anymore. They send the same information to the central online portal created by the government for maintaining such vehicles.

• Registered vehicle scrapping facilities

Registered vehicle scrapping facilities are to handle the management of End-of-Life vehicles safely. Their roles and responsibilities include handling and disposal of harmful substances, deconstruction of automobile parts, safe storage of wastes, and recycling metals and batteries. They also keep track of all the materials coming in and going out and report quarterly to the State Board.

• Central board

Among these functions, some of the main roles are to register the producers online within fifteen days, inspect to ascertain whether they follow the rules or not, publish annual reports about the performance of the producers, and create guidelines for recycling End-of-Life vehicles.

• State board

In addition, the State Board registers the vehicle scrapping facilities and the bulk consumers within fifteen days. The registration made here remains valid till cancellation. In case any false information is detected, the board may suspend registrations for up to five years.

Environmental Compensation of EPR for Environment Protection (End-of-Life Vehicles)

Environmental Compensation is the amount of fine if producers or scrapping facilities and bulk consumers do not adhere to the proper rules for handling and scrapping old vehicles. This fine is therefore meant to address any form of harm to the environment or public health. Any imposed fine requires both parties involved in the process to be heard regarding their side of the story, to keep the process as fair as it can be.

• The Central Board collects fines from producers, whereas the State Board collects fines from vehicle scrapping facilities and bulk consumers.
• If a producer or facility starts following the rules after paying a fine, some of the money they paid would be returned to them. It can receive:

1. 75% back if they comply within one year,
2. 60% back if they comply within two years,
3. 40% refund if they comply within three years.

• The fines collected under the aforesaid act would be accumulated into a specific account that the Central Board or the State Board maintains.
• Funds gathered from environmental compensation would be used for the repair and restoration of whatever damage was incurred on the environment. This could entail proper management including recycling and detoxification of contaminated sites due to the mishandled old vehicles.

• EPR targets are given to all vehicle producers based on the type of vehicle and its average life span.
• Steel obtained from End-of-Life vehicles is to be scrapped, meaning steel metal is recycled from old cars.
• The EPR targets for batteries are managed following the rules of 2022 for battery waste management, whereas waste tyres and used oil are being managed under the Hazardous and Other Wastes Rules, 2016.
• There is a difference between the EPR for transport and non-transport vehicles, hence recycling targets will differ for both.
• Producers are free to source the certificates for achieving their EPR through the registered vehicle scrapping facilities with a central portal.
• In the case of a shortage of such certificates, producers shall take care to collect their respective vehicles on their own.
• These rules encourage proper disposal and recycling of vehicles and use of resources effectively, hence saving the environment.

(i) For non-transport vehicles:

Note: 30% of the Extended Producer Responsibility targets, of any year, may be carried forward to the subsequent four years for its Extended Producer Responsibility target compliance.

(ii) For transport vehicles:

Note: 30% of the Extended Producer Responsibility targets, of any year, may be carried forward to the subsequent four years for its Extended Producer Responsibility target compliance.

Some main documents required for EPR for Environment Protection (End-of-Life Vehicles) include:

• PAN, GST, CIN
• IEC (for importer) of the Company
• Aadhaar / PAN of Authorized person
• Process flow diagrams (for producers & PWPs only)
• Consent issued by SPCB/PCC
• Scanned copy of signatures of authorized persons

• Application form submission: The producer has to fill up Form 4 and submit it to the Central Board. RVSF and bulk consumer submit their registration through Form 5 and Form 6 to the State Board.
• Registration certificate issue: The respective board will scrutinize after receiving the application form. If no error, they will issue a registration certificate within fifteen days.
• Certificate duration: The issuance certificate remains valid until revoked or cancelled on account of violation of any rules.

Corpseed helps with Environment Protection for End-of-Life Vehicles with clear documentation, guidance, and ensuring registration of vehicle scrapping facilities that are in conformance with the EPR Rules. To make recycling easier and safer, we help in obtaining EPR certificates by filling out the necessary forms. It builds a clean environment for everyone.