The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recently launched a major compliance verification drive for all registered used oil recycling entities. Mandatory physical verification of registered recyclers is essential to ensure their compliance in generating and transferring EPR certificates.This necessary action was initiated to uphold the integrity of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework for Used Oil Management. The CPCB successfully made the Used Oil EPR Portal fully operational in June 2024 to manage this new system. The new rules governing this responsibility came into effect from the September 2023 amendment.
The EPR obligation for used oil was introduced under the 2023 Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Amendment Rules. This legislation mandated that producers were fully accountable for the responsible collection and proper recycling of their base oil products. The newly developed online portal allowed for efficient registration and systematic compliance tracking by various stakeholders. Forty-two recyclers and fifty-seven producers had successfully registered their operations at the Used Oil EPR portal.
Concerns were raised regarding the accurate generation and authentic transfer of the Extended Producer Responsibility certificates among stakeholders. This prompted the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to enforce mandatory physical verification as a critical oversight mechanism to prevent malpractice. Verification checks were deemed absolutely essential to prevent misreporting on the portal and inflating recycling data. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) emphasized full adherence to all environmental norms across the industry.
CPCB officially communicated with all State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) regarding the urgent verification needed. It was explicitly requested that the respective state bodies should immediately provide the necessary details of the designated verification officers. A special provision was subsequently created on the central EPR portal for the coordinating state bodies. This new portal module facilitated the efficient uploading of all physical verification reports.
Strategic significance lies in ensuring that India’s comprehensive used oil recycling program achieved its intended ambitious environmental sustainability goals. The thorough audit process by the government’s commitment to responsible waste management and the establishment of a robust circular economy for lubricants. This major regulatory move validated the recycler’s infrastructure and operational capabilities to handle hazardous waste properly. It also significantly increased overall transparency and public trust within the entire used oil management sector.
