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CPCB EPR Credits, also called EPR Certificates, are compliance instruments issued through CPCB's centralized online portals that let producers, importers, and brand owners (PIBOs) prove they have met their annual Extended Producer Responsibility recycling targets. Credits are generated by CPCB-registered recyclers, waste processors, retreaders, or co-processors after they process plastic, e-waste, battery, tyre, or used oil waste, and are then purchased by obligated entities to offset their EPR liability for that specific waste category.
Each waste stream — plastic (PWM Rules 2022), e-waste (E-Waste Rules 2022), battery (BWM Rules 2022), tyre (Hazardous Waste Rules Schedule IX), and used oil (Hazardous Waste Rules Chapter VII) — has its own certificate type, portal, and validity period, and credits generally cannot be swapped across categories.
CPCB EPR Credits — commonly called EPR Certificates — are the mechanism through which India's Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system lets producers, importers, and brand owners demonstrate compliance with their annual recycling or recovery targets. Instead of every company running its own recycling operation, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) allows registered recyclers, waste processors, retreaders, and co-processors to generate certificates for the quantity of waste they have processed. Obligated entities then purchase these certificates on the relevant CPCB portal to offset their own EPR liability for that financial year.
This credit-based model credit-based currently operates across five regulated waste categories in India: plastic packaging waste, e-waste, battery waste, waste tyres, and used oil. Each category has its own governing rules, its own CPCB portal, and its own certificate types — a plastic recycling certificate cannot be used to offset a battery producer's EPR target, and vice versa.
EPR credit trading is built into the rules governing each waste category, all issued under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986:
| Waste Category | Governing Rules |
|---|---|
| Plastic Waste | Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, as amended by the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022. |
| E-Waste | E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022. |
| Battery Waste | Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022. |
| Waste Tyre | Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Amendment Rules, 2022 (Schedule IX). |
| Used Oil | Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Second Amendment Rules, 2023 (Chapter VII), effective 1 April 2024. |
Each waste stream has its own certificate nomenclature, its own issuing entity, and its own compliance logic. Here's how EPR credits work across all five categories:
| Waste Category | Certificate Type & Issuer |
|---|---|
| Plastic Waste | End-of-Life (EoL) / Recycling Certificates generated by registered Plastic Waste Processors (PWPs); Use of Recycled Content and Reuse (Category I) Certificates generated by PIBOs. |
| E-Waste | EPR Certificates generated by CPCB-registered Recyclers/Refurbishers, categorized by equipment type (e.g., ITEW for IT equipment, CEEW for consumer electronics). |
| Battery Waste | EPR Certificates generated by registered Recyclers, based on the quantity of battery waste recycled or refurbished, tracked separately by battery chemistry. |
| Waste Tyre | EPR Certificates generated by Recyclers; Retreading Certificates generated by Retreaders — available in standard denominations of 0.1T, 1T, 10T, 50T, 100T, 500T, and 1000T. |
| Used Oil | EPR Certificates generated by registered Recyclers based on the quantity of used oil re-refined or recycled into base oil or other recovered products. |
| Role | Function in the EPR Credit System |
|---|---|
| Producers, Importers & Brand Owners (PIBOs) | Obligated entities who must purchase enough EPR certificates each year to cover their recycling/recovery target. |
| Recyclers / Waste Processors | Generate EPR Certificates after processing waste (plastic, e-waste, battery, tyre, used oil) through CPCB-approved methods. |
| Retreaders (Tyre only) | Generate Retreading Certificates for renewing worn tyres, allowing producers to defer part of their target by one year. |
| Co-Processors (Plastic only) | Generate Co-processing (Energy Recovery) or Co-processing (Resource Recovery) Certificates from plastic waste used in cement kilns or similar processes. |
| Collection Agents (Used Oil only) | Collect used oil from generators and supply it to registered recyclers; do not generate certificates themselves. |
Before you can buy or generate EPR credits, your entity must first be registered under the applicable EPR framework for that waste category:
| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| EPR Registration Certificate | Confirms the entity is registered as a Producer/Importer/Recycler under the applicable waste category. |
| PAN & GST Certificate | Establishes the legal and tax identity of the entity buying or selling certificates. |
| CIN (Certificate of Incorporation) | Verifies the registered business entity, where applicable. |
| Authorized Signatory Details | Identifies the person authorized to transact on the CPCB portal or ETP. |
| EPR Target/Obligation Statement | Shows the entity's current-year and any carried-over liability, used to validate purchase limits. |
| Certificate Transaction Records | Portal-generated proof of certificates purchased, sold, or extinguished against a target. |
Exact validity periods and denomination rules for plastic, e-waste, and battery EPR certificates are set out in CPCB's category-specific SOPs and guidelines, which are periodically updated. We recommend confirming current validity windows directly on the relevant CPCB portal for your specific waste category before relying on a fixed number.
EPR certificate prices are largely market-determined — driven by supply and demand between registered recyclers/processors and obligated producers on each category's CPCB portal or accredited trading platform — rather than fixed by a single published CPCB rate card. Prices can vary by waste category, certificate denomination, and market conditions at the time of purchase. Because pricing fluctuates and CPCB periodically issues guidance on trading practices, it's best to check current rates directly on the relevant EPR portal or trading platform, or through a compliance consultant, rather than relying on a fixed figure.
Because EPR certificates are the primary proof of compliance, CPCB treats misuse seriously under Section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986:
Silvereye Certifications supports producers, importers, and brand owners across plastic, battery, e-waste, tyre, and used oil categories — helping you register on the correct CPCB portal, calculate accurate annual targets, and source genuine, verifiable EPR certificates from CPCB-registered recyclers and processors. Our team stays current with CPCB circulars and portal updates across all five waste streams so your compliance never falls behind.
Silvereye Certifications helps producers, importers, and brand owners across plastic, battery, e-waste, tyre, and used oil categories register on the correct CPCB EPR portal, calculate accurate targets, and source genuine EPR certificates from verified recyclers. Connect with our regulatory consultants today for end-to-end EPR credit compliance support.
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