Understanding EPR for Tyre Waste: The Mandatory Framework
What is EPR for Tyre Waste?
EPR for tyre waste is defined under the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Amendment Rules, 2022. These rules enforce a mechanism where every Producer and Importer of tyres must ensure that a mandated percentage of the tyres they introduce into the market are collected and channeled through registered recyclers for environmentally sound processing.
To put it simply, about EPR for tyres, it’s a legal obligation that requires you to manage the post-consumer waste generated by your product. This is critical because tyres are non-biodegradable and, if mismanaged, can become breeding grounds for disease or be illegally burned, releasing toxic pollutants.
The Regulatory Authority
The compliance framework is governed and implemented by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an apex body under the MoEFCC. The CPCB manages the centralized online EPR website, which is the single platform for registration, target setting, reporting, and transaction of EPR Certificates. Understanding how to use the CPCB’s EPR website is essential for any obligated entity.
Key Objectives of EPR
The policy on EPR for tyre waste serves several vital purposes:
- Environmental Protection: Diverting millions of waste tyres from landfills and illegal dumping sites.
- Resource Efficiency: Promoting the recovery of valuable materials (e.g., rubber, carbon black) and reducing the need for virgin resources.
- Formalizing the Sector: Shifting the historically informal and often unscientific recycling processes into an organized, regulated framework.
- Principle of ‘Polluter Pays’: Ensuring the entities responsible for introducing the product bear the cost of its end-of-life management.