The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has received a formal request to ensure that importers of plastic raw material are mandatorily registered on the ‘Centralized Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Portal for Plastic Packaging‘. This directive stems from recent amendments to the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, which significantly broaden the scope of who qualifies as an “importer” under the regulations.
The communication, dated June 13, 2025, serves as a follow-up to earlier requests made to CBIC concerning the registration of importers dealing with plastic packaging and commodities containing plastic packaging on the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), State Pollution Control Board (SPCB), or Pollution Control Committee (PCC) portal.
The renewed urgency is driven by the provisions of the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2024, dated March 14, 2024. These amendments have expanded the definition of “Importer” to include any person who imports for commercial use:
- Plastic packaging
- Any commodity with plastic packaging
- Carry bags or plastic sheets or similar materials
- Plastic raw material, including in the form of resin or pellets
- Intermediate material used for manufacturing plastic packaging, such as films or preforms.
Under these revised rules, all such importers are now explicitly required to register on the EPR Plastic Portal, as stipulated by Section 6 of the EPR Guidelines.
In light of these updated provisions, CBIC has been urged to issue necessary instructions to its concerned authorities. The primary request is for these authorities, likely customs officials, to verify proof of registration on the ‘Centralized EPR Portal for Plastic Packaging’ from importers of plastic raw material at the time their consignments are cleared.
This measure aims to strengthen India’s Extended Producer Responsibility framework for plastic waste management, ensuring comprehensive tracking and accountability for plastic materials entering the country, starting directly from the raw material stage.