India Introduces Ecomark Certification Scheme to Promote Environment-Friendly Products
The Government of India has introduced the Ecomark Certification Scheme to encourage the production and consumption of environmentally friendly products. This scheme was introduced through the Ecomark Rules, 2024. Under these rules, products eligible for Ecomark certification must meet specific criteria related to resource consumption, waste generation, emissions, and overall environmental impact.
Guidelines for Financial Support for Recycling Waste In Coastal Areas
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has announced Guidelines for One-Time Financial Support for Establishing Recycling Plants & Machinery for Abandoned, Lost & Discarded Fishing Gears (ALDFGs) and High Littering Plastic Wastes in Coastal Areas”. These guidelines seek to facilitate and enhance control of pollution in coastal areas.
CPCB Introduces Environmental Compensation Guidelines for Battery Waste Management
These Guidelines will be applicable to producers, recyclers, refurbishers and entities involved in collection, segregation and treatment of Waste Battery. The EC guidelines outline the procedures for calculating and imposing environmental compensation on entities that fail to comply with the Battery Waste Management Rules.
CPCB Releases Environmental Compensation Guidelines for Waste Tyre EPR Regime
These guidelines, developed through extensive consultations with producer and recycler associations, aim to address the environmental impact of waste tyres and ensure that producers take responsibility for their end-of-life management. The guidelines will be applicable to entities involved in manufacture, sale, transfer, purchase, recycling and retreading of Waste Tyre or Tyre as defined in the Hazardous and Other Waste (Management & Transboundary Movement) Amendments Rules, 2022.
Draft Remediation of Contaminated Sites Rules, 2024
The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has proposed draft regulations to address the remediation of contaminated sites in India. These rules aim to establish a comprehensive framework for cleaning up sites polluted by hazardous substances and ensure environmental protection.
Comprehensive Charter 2.0 For Water Conservation And Pollution Prevention By Sugar Industries
This charter introduces new specific freshwater consumption targets for sugar industries as part of its efforts to promote water conservation and reduce pollution.. The CPCB has also developed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for sugar mills to assess and monitor their freshwater consumption, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
Businesses Face Show Cause Notices For Failure To File EPR Plastic Waste Annual Returns
CPCB has observed that only 9129 PIBOs have submitted annual returns. The notice further lists a total of 3590 entities who have failed to furnish their annual returns for 2022-2023 along with the applicable environmental compensation for each defaulting entity.
Revised Environment Compensation for Violation of Plastic Waste Management Rules
The Environmental Compensation (EC) regime takes into account the cost incurred in managing plastic waste, which is estimated to be approximately Rs. 4000 per ton. To act as a deterrent, a deterrent factor of 2.5 is applied to the calculated EC, resulting in a total levy of Rs. 5000 per ton of plastic waste. The EC factor is inversely proportional to the collection of each category of plastic packaging waste, with higher ECs imposed for lower collection rates.
Draft Rules For Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Of Non-Ferrous Metals
Manufacturers, producers, collection agents, refurbishers, and recyclers of non-ferrous metals must register with the CPCB. The CPCB will generate EPR certificates for registered recyclers, acknowledging their contribution to recycling efforts. The validity of the extended producer responsibility certificate shall be two years from the end of the financial year in which it was generated.
India Takes Strong Steps Against Single-Use Plastics
The Indian government has made significant strides in its fight against single-use plastic pollution. The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021 implemented from July 1, 2022, have led to a ban on several high-littering plastic items, including plastic carry bags below a certain thickness. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEF&CC) has issued a press release dated July 25, 2024, on current status of this ban.
