MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE has notified the battery waste management Rules, 2022 (BWM Rules, 2022).
Applicability of Rules:-
- Producer
- Dealer
- Consumer;
- entities involved in collection, segregation, transportation, re-furbishment and recycling of Waste Battery
As per the Rules, the term PRODUCER included the following entities:
- Manufacturer and seller of batteries
- Seller of batteries
- Importer of batteries; including refurbished batteries
Extended Producer Responsibility’ means responsibility of any Producer of Battery for Environmentally sound management of Waste Battery. Extended Producer Responsibility Registration (EPR) is made mandatory for all of the above entities By the Central Pollution control Board.
The Registration shall be an online process. EPR guidelines are imposed on the producers to ensure that batteries introduced by them in the market is properly recycled and refurbished.
Responsibility of Producers under battery waste management Rules, 2022:
- Producer shall meet the collection and recycling and/or refurbishment targets as mentioned in Schedule II for Battery made available in the market.
- Producers shall get themselves registered with the Central Pollution control Board.
- Producer shall file for renewal of registration in Form 1(A) before sixty days of its expiry.
- Producer shall submit an Extended Producer Responsibility Plan in Form 1(C) to Central Pollution Control Board for the Battery manufactured in FY 2022-23.
- Producer shall file annual returns in Form 3 regarding the Waste Battery collected and recycled or refurbished towards fulfilling obligations under Extended Producer Responsibility with the Central Pollution Control Board and concerned State Pollution Control Board in Form 3 by 30th June of the next financial year.
Responsibility of Refurbisher under battery waste management Rules, 2022:
- All refurbishers shall register with State Pollution Control Board on the centralised portal.
- ensure that the Waste Battery is removed from collected appliance if Battery is incorporated in an equipment
- shall furnish quarterly returns in Form 4 regarding the information on quantity of used Battery collected or received from various producers or entities,
- Refurbisher shall not deal with any other entity not having registration mandated under these rules.