Centre notifies new battery waste management norms

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has notified new norms for battery waste management to help in ensuring adoption of environmentally sound management of waste batteries. Among other things, the norms prescribe the use of a certain amount of recycled materials in making new batteries to reduce the dependency on new raw materials.

The Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022 will replace the Battery (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001. The rules cover all types of batteries - electric vehicle batteries, portable batteries, automotive batteries and industrial batteries In a statement, the ministry emphasised that the rules are based on the concept of extended producer responsibility (EPR) where the producers (including importers) of batteries are responsible for collection and recycling/refurbishment of waste batteries and use of recovered materials from wastes in new batteries. EPR mandates that all waste batteries be collected and sent for recycling/refurbishment, and it prohibits disposal in landfills and incineration.

To meet the EPR obligations, producers may engage themselves or authorise any other entity for collection, recycling or refurbishment of waste batteries. The rules will enable setting up a mechanism and centralized online portal for exchange of EPR certificates between producers and recyclers/refurbishers to fulfil the obligations of producers.

The new rules promote the establishment of new industries and entrepreneurship in collection and recycling/refurbishment of waste batteries which will help in bringing new technologies and investments into the sector.

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