The Central Pollution Control Board has issued Guidelines for Authorization of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Electronic Trading and Settlement Platform (EPRETP) Operator (“Guidelines”). The Guidelines provides for a platform which will facilitate the obligated entities in meeting Extended Producer Responsibility (“EPR”) targets by purchasing EPR certificates from the waste processors, in transparent and fair manner, provision for setting up of electronic trading platform and Settlement Platform (“EPRETP”) has been made under the EPR Framework for Plastic Waste, E-Waste, Battery, Waste Tyre and Used Oil.
The EPRETP operator (under this Guideline) will be a company having minimum 2 years existing and working national level online trading systems associated with Public/Government institutions or programs. It should also fulfil other prescribed criteria.
All users such as any obligated entity, register on the Trading Platform and abide by operational regulations as decided by the Regulator along with the prescribed registration fees, in order to trade on the EPRETP.
Key Highlights:
- Organizations which are obligated entities, having EPR obligation, under any rules notified under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (“Act”) will not be empanelled as Electronic Trading Platform (“ETP”) Provider.
- Any organization having more than 50% ownership by equity, directly or through common directors in any obligated entity, having EPR obligation, under any rules notified under the Act shall not be empanelled as ETP Provider.
- No obligated entity, having EPR obligation under any rules notified under the Act, will be on the Board of Directors of the Trading Platform.
- An obligated entity, having EPR obligation under any rules notified under the Act, directly or indirectly, either individually or together with persons acting in concert, will not acquire or hold more than 5% of shareholding in the Trading Platform.
- Any obligated entity, having EPR obligation can transfer / trade EPR Certificates to any other obligated entity as mandated under provisions of the rules.
- The EPRETP to provide the platform for trading of EPR Certificates between the various registered entities in accordance with provisions related to EPR under any rules notified under EP Act.
- The generation and transfer of Certificates will be done on the Centralized EPR Portal developed by CPCB.
- The EPRETP to allow direct trading between the Registered obligated entities, having EPR obligation and recyclers/ waste processors under any rules notified under EP Act as per the provisions of respective rules. No brokers to be permitted on the trading platform.
- The Guidelines categorizes various entities who can trade on the EPRETP in respect of plastic packaging, battery waste, E-waste etc.
- The Guidelines also categorizes the EPR certificates.
- Users/obligated entities can see their pending and completed obligations along with specific actions that they need to perform.
A copy of the Notification is linked for ease of reference.
Source: Central Pollution Control Board
