The Indian Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) recently issued draft regulations on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for end-of-life vehicles (ELV). These proposed regulations were published in the Indian Gazette on January 30, 2024, and have been effective since then. They have now replaced the previous version of the regulations.

Regulatory Scope

The proposed regulations provide a comprehensive framework that outlines the responsibilities of various parties involved in the ELV life cycle.

• The regulations include producers, registered owners, consumers, collection centers, automated testing stations, and registered vehicle scrapping facilities.
• The regulations also include the obligation of producers to meet EPR for newly introduced vehicles, recycling targets, and the establishment of registered vehicle scrapping facilities that follow environmentally friendly management practices.
• The regulations apply to all types of vehicles as per clause (28) of section 2 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (59 of 1988).
• Additionally, the guidelines for Environmentally Sound Management of End-of-life vehicles (ELVs) and Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 129 fall under the scope of these rules

Exemption Categories: Within the draft regulations, specific exemptions from Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligations are outlined as follows:

a. Battery waste falls under the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022 purview.
b. Packaging plastics regulated by the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
c. Waste tires addressed by the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Amendment Rules, 2022.
d. Used oil management is governed by the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Amendment Rules, 2023, and
e. Electronic waste is also exempted as defined in the E-trash (Management) Rules, 2022.

EPR Progress

India has already implemented Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws in several industries, such as used lubricants, batteries, plastic waste, electronic waste, and waste tires. EPR regulations for end-of-life vehicles are a significant step towards managing the country's environmental impact.

Suporting Sustainable Practices

These proposed regulations are designed to encourage responsible waste management practices among producers and manufacturers of vehicles. The government aims to create a more sustainable approach to handling end-of-life vehicles by establishing clear guidelines and exemptions.

Call for input

Stakeholders, industry members, and the public are encouraged to review the draft regulations and submit their feedback to the MoEFCC by February 29, 2024. This input will help shape the final EPR regulations for end-of-life vehicles in India.