Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) makes companies that place plastic packaging on the market responsible for applicable obligations. In India, CPCB's Common EPR Portal covers registration, EPR certificate generation and transfer, prescribed returns, and compliance monitoring. Understanding what the portal confirms—and what must still be checked in the operative rules—matters to brands, recyclers, MRF operators and municipalities alike.
PLASTIC PACKAGING EPR
What is plastic EPR in India?
Plastic packaging EPR is governed by the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, Schedule II and subsequent amendments. Producers, importers and brand owners (PIBOs) have applicable responsibilities for registration, packaging declarations, recycling, reuse, recycled content, end-of-life disposal and returns. Obligations differ by packaging category and reporting year; consult CPCB's current Rules listing and the operative Schedule II rather than relying on an older summary.
PACKAGING CATEGORIES
Which plastic packaging categories are covered?
Rigid plastic packaging
CPCB describes this category as rigid package plastic.
Flexible plastic packaging
Single-layer or multilayer flexible plastic packaging.
Multilayered packaging
Packaging with at least one plastic layer and one non-plastic layer.
Compostable plastic packaging
Plastic sheets or similar materials used for packaging, and carry bags made of compostable plastics.
ELIGIBILITY
Who has EPR obligations, and who can generate certificates?
CPCB identifies PIBOs as responsible for applicable plastic-packaging obligations and says valid EPR certificates are used to meet relevant targets. CPCB's Common EPR Portal also lists certificate generation and transfer among its functions. The precise PWP eligibility conditions and current generation workflow must be checked in the operative Rules, the portal's current manuals and any applicable CPCB instructions; the public material reviewed here does not establish each step or condition.
A municipality or MRF should not assume that its role alone makes it eligible to generate certificates. Confirm the facility's applicable registration and eligibility requirements in CPCB's current rules and portal guidance.
CERTIFICATE LIFECYCLE
What evidence can support a traceable EPR process?
This is an illustrative material-evidence chain, not a CPCB portal workflow. The portal confirms it supports certificate generation and transfer, but the current detailed steps, checks and eligibility conditions should be taken from CPCB's operative rules and portal manuals.
Check facility status
Confirm applicable registration and eligibility using current CPCB guidance.
Identify material
Record source and material details for the relevant lot.
Record quantity
Keep weighment records and supporting material information.
Document processing
Retain records that support the processing activity and output.
Use current portal guidance
Follow the live Common EPR Portal workflow and its instructions.
Check portal status
Generation and transfer are portal functions; follow the applicable rules and current process.
RECYCLING OBLIGATIONS
Where should PIBOs check their current recycling targets?
Targets and related obligations depend on the packaging category and compliance period. CPCB lists a 2026 amendment alongside earlier amendments; the operative consolidated Schedule II must be checked before quoting year-specific percentages. The exact target figures are therefore not reproduced here as current law without that verification. Consult the CPCB Rules and amendments listing for the current official documents.
| Category | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Category I (rigid) | Applicable target and compliance year in the operative Schedule II. |
| Category II (flexible) | Applicable target and compliance year in the operative Schedule II. |
| Category III (multilayered) | Applicable target and compliance year in the operative Schedule II. |
| Category IV (compostable) | Applicable target and compliance year in the operative Schedule II. |
CPCB's Common Portal notice checked on 10 October 2026 said FY 2025–26 annual-return filing was unavailable and that a revised schedule would be announced when the module launches. Portal availability does not itself remove an underlying legal obligation; check CPCB's latest notice and rules.
CERTIFICATE PRICING
What can be confirmed about EPR certificate pricing?
The CPCB public materials reviewed confirm that the Common EPR Portal supports certificate generation and transfer. They do not establish a current price floor, ceiling or calculation that can safely be stated here. Check the operative Rules, current CPCB directions and portal guidance before relying on any quoted price band.
Verify the current legal basis before quoting a price
No current percentage range is stated here because the official material reviewed did not verify one.VERIFICATION AND EVIDENCE
Why do traceability and verification matter?
Well-organized records can help reviewers understand what was received, processed and reported. A practical evidence review can check facility status, category, quantities, processing records and chain-of-custody documentation. These are documentation checks, not claims that CPCB follows a particular verification sequence or that any record has been independently verified.
EPR CERTIFICATE RECORD
Evidence organized for review — not a claim of CPCB verification
UPSTREAM SUPPLY
Where do municipalities and MRFs fit?
Being a municipality or MRF does not by itself establish eligibility to generate EPR certificates; confirm the facility's current registration and eligibility requirements in CPCB's rules and portal guidance. Municipalities and MRF operators can support the value chain by collecting and grading plastic, documenting material flow, and supplying information to relevant processors or PIBOs. Traceable lots can make records easier to review.
OTHER EPR REGIMES
Does the same process apply beyond plastic packaging?
EPR frameworks also apply to areas such as e-waste, batteries and waste tyres, each under its own rules, portal workflows, categories and obligations. The plastic packaging certificate process should not be assumed to apply identically to other regimes.
EPR certificate
- Relates to a regulatory plastic-packaging obligation.
- Based on eligible processing or recycling under the applicable framework.
- Used by PIBOs to meet applicable obligations.
Carbon credit
- Represents a greenhouse-gas reduction or removal under a carbon-crediting mechanism.
- Based on an applicable methodology.
- Subject to its own validation, verification and registry process.
EPR certificates and carbon credits are not interchangeable. Avoid incompatible double claims for the same activity or environmental attribute.
WASTRAQ TRACEABILITY
How can WASTRAQ support EPR-grade traceability?
WASTRAQ can organize material records across a chain of custody: source identification, category, weight, collection evidence, lot movement, GPS or trip evidence where applicable, weighbridge data, input-output reconciliation, processor documentation and audit packs.
EPR certificates themselves are generated and transferred through the applicable CPCB EPR mechanism, not by WASTRAQ. WASTRAQ supports data, traceability and documentation; it is not the regulator or certificate issuer.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
What should participants remember?
- “EPR credits” is the common term for EPR certificates under India’s plastic-packaging framework.
- CPCB's Common EPR Portal lists certificate generation and transfer as portal functions; check current PWP eligibility and workflow instructions.
- PIBOs acquire applicable certificates to meet their obligations.
- Check the operative amended Rules and CPCB guidance before relying on target percentages or certificate pricing.
- Traceable chain-of-custody evidence helps support review and audit.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Are EPR credits the same as carbon credits?
No. EPR certificates relate to fulfilment of applicable plastic-packaging obligations. Carbon credits represent greenhouse-gas reductions or removals under a separate crediting mechanism. They are not interchangeable.
Can a municipality generate EPR certificates?
Not automatically. A municipal facility could generate certificates only if it is registered and eligible as a Plastic Waste Processor under applicable rules. Otherwise, municipalities can support the value chain by supplying segregated, documented plastic to registered processors.
What happens if a PIBO misses its EPR target?
Applicable consequences depend on the operative Rules and directions. The public CPCB materials reviewed here did not establish a current environmental-compensation calculation or the exact treatment of outstanding obligations. PIBOs should check the latest official rules and portal instructions for the relevant compliance period.
Which CPCB portal should stakeholders use now?
CPCB directs stakeholders to the Common EPR Portal. The former Plastic EPR Portal states that it was discontinued for new activity from 28 June 2026 and that historical data was migrated. Check current portal notices and instructions before filing or transacting.
Sources
- Central Pollution Control Board: Common EPR Portal.
- Central Pollution Control Board: Plastic Packaging EPR rules, categories and PIBO responsibilities.
- Central Pollution Control Board: Official Rules and amendments listing.
- Central Pollution Control Board: Former Plastic EPR Portal migration notice and historical data guidance.