The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has released a Guidance for Registration of Micro & Small Producers, Sellers, Manufacturers & Importers of raw materials through the Plastic Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Portal. This move follows recent amendments to the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016, notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) on March 14, 2024.
The new guidance outlines the standard operating procedure for these micro and small entities to register with their respective State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) or Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) on the centralized EPR portal.
The manual covers various aspects of the registration process, including:
- Detailed guidance on filing applications.
- Information on applicable application and annual processing fees.
- Procedures for application processing by SPCBs/PCCs.
- Specific conditions related to registration as per the amended PWM Rules.
The guidance also clearly lays out the provisions for the cancellation of registration:
- Registration can be cancelled if any submitted document is found to be false.
- In case of violations of registration provisions, SPCBs/PCCs will issue a notice.
- The entity will be given an opportunity to present their case within fifteen days of the notice issuance before a decision on cancellation or suspension is made.
- A decision on cancellation or suspension will be communicated within 10 working days after the hearing.
- The Chairman of the SPCB/PCC holds the final authority for such decisions.
This guidance manual is designed to be a dynamic document, slated for periodic updates to align with evolving requirements and any further amendments to the PWM Rules.
