The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change presented the draft notification for the regulations for the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for waste tyres. It will be effective from the new fiscal year if it is finalised.

According to the data provided for the NGT case, India has been discarding about 275,000 tyres every year and a comprehensive plan is not yet derived for the same. Additionally, approximately three million waste tyres are being imported for the recycling process.

On September 19, 2019, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had been directed to develop a waste management plan for waste tyres and recycling, by the NGT in a case that was related to the lack of management of End-of-Life Tyres/Waste Tyres (ELTs).

The waste tyres are being recycled into rubbers, crumb rubbers, carbon black, crumb rubber modified bitumen- CRMB, and pyrolysis oil or char. According to the NGT case, India’s pyrolysis industry is involved in the production of inferior quality products that should be banned for preventing environmental damage. Also the highly carcinogenic or cancer-causing pollutants are emitted by the industry. These emissions are harmful to the respiratory system as well.

The draft notification has mentioned the EPR obligation for the period 2022-23 as 35% of the new tyres that are either manufactured or imported in 2020-21. The EPR obligation for 2023-24 is 70 % of the new tyres that are either manufactured or imported in 2021-22. Whereas EPR obligation for 2024-25 is said to be 100% of the new tyres manufactured or imported in 2022-23.

The waste tyre producers, as well as recyclers, are going to be covered under the EPR obligations. The registration for the same will be compulsory. Hence, no one can run the business without registration. It is an important development considering the current unorganised sector and the tyre waste burning or recycling carried out in an unscientific manner. The process for seeking objections or suggestions from the stakeholders and public has been started. These should be submitted within 60 days after which the final decision will be taken.

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