Page 25 - Plastics News February 2026
P. 25
ENVIRONMENT NEWS
worldwide. impact on local communities and ecosystems.
Mumbai is identified as a critical intervention Source - https://dailypioneer.com
point due to the scale of plastic leakage and its
CPCB EPR PORTAL UPDATES
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has ♦ Strict Category Matching: Recycling obliga-
introduced several critical updates to its Extend- tions for Categories I, II, and III must now be
ed Producer Responsibility (EPR) portals in Feb- met only with certificates from the same cat-
ruary 2026, primarily focusing on strict category egory.
compliance and the integration of multiple waste
streams into a unified platform. ♦ Cross-Utilization Ban: Surplus EOL certifi-
1. Unified Common EPR Portal Launch cates can no longer be adjusted against re-
cycling targets.
The CPCB is launching a Common EPR Portal de-
signed to integrate six separate waste manage- 3. Portal Maintenance & Filing Deadlines
ment streams into a single dashboard.
♦ Maintenance Window: The EPR Plastic Portal
♦ Single Sign-On (SSO): Features OTP-based was under scheduled maintenance in early
authentication for registered emails, allow- February, with operations tentatively resum-
ing seamless access to plastic, e-waste, bat- ing from 6th February 2026.
tery, used oil, tires, and end-of-life vehicle
(ELV) modules. ♦ Annual Returns (AR): Registered PIBOs (Pro-
ducers, Importers, and Brand Owners) were
♦ ETP Trading Integration: The newly devel- mandated to file their Annual Returns by
oped Electronic Trading Platform (ETP) for 31st January 2026; entities that missed this
EPR certificates—managed by MSTC Lim- deadline now face potential Environmental
ited—is also being linked to this centralized Compensation (EC) penalties.
dashboard.
4. New Modules & Sector-Specific Updates
2. Plastic EPR Compliance & Certificate Rules
♦ ELV Portal: The portal for End-of-Life Vehi-
A significant "Removal of Difficulties" notice is- cles (ELV) is now operational for registration
sued in late January 2026 has strictly defined and compliance tracking.
how obligations must be met starting February:
♦ Used Oil EPR: New transaction reporting
♦ Withdrawal of EOL Relaxation: The earlier fields and mandatory portal updates are be-
dispensation allowing recycling obligations ing enforced for oil importers and proces-
to be fulfilled through End-of-Life (EOL) cer- sors.
tificates has been withdrawn with immediate
effect. ♦ E-Waste Gap Tracking: CPCB is currently
monitoring a widening gap in e-waste recy-
February 2026 PLASTICS NEWS 25
