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Compliance with relevant Indian Standards or mandate of Quality Control Orders is a prerequisite for obtaining Ecomark certification.
On October 1, 2024, India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MOEFCC) published the Ecomark Rules, 2024 in the Gazette of India. It shall come into force on the same date of its publication.
The Rules are intended to encourage the consumers to adopt environmentally friendly products that cause lesser adverse impacts on the environment. It will also motivate manufacturers for transitioning to production of environment-friendly products leading to promotion of green industries.
Criteria for Ecomark
The Ecomark is awarded to products which meet the specified environmental criteria with respect to resource consumption and environmental impacts. A license or a certificate of conformity of Indian Standards granted under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016, or mandate of Quality Control Orders (QCOs) shall be the pre-requisite for Ecomark certification. In addition, a product shall fulfill the criteria as specified under the First Schedule.
The primary criteria for grant of Ecomark mainly include:
- Reduces the pollution by minimising or eliminating the generation of waste and environmental emissions
- Is recyclable or is made from recycled material or both
- Reduces the use of non-renewable resources, including non-renewable energy sources and natural resources
- Reduces the use of any material, which has adverse impacts on the environment
Ecomark scope
As per the First Schedule, there are 17 categories of products with available criteria for grant of Ecomark as follows:
- Architectural paints and powder coating
- Cosmetics
- Batteries
- Lubrication oils
- Soaps and detergents
- Paper
- Food items
- Packaging material/package
- Electric/electronic goods
- Food additives
- Wood substitutes
- Aerosol propellants
- Plastic products
- Textiles
- Fire extinguishers
- Finished leather
- Coir and coir products
Grant of Ecomark
An application for a grant of Ecomark for a product shall be submitted via the Ecomark portal developed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) . One application form is valid only for one product and one Indian Standard Specification. The granted Ecomark shall be valid for 3 years or until change in Ecomark criteria for the products, whichever is earlier. The Ecomark label shall be affixed on the product after the grant of Ecomark.
Every holder of Ecomark shall submit an annual report to CPCB before May 31st every year in respect of the activities performed for the previous year, as per pro forma on the Ecomark portal.
Compliance verification
Apart from the CPCB, the registered agencies are also eligible for inspection and verification of Ecomark criteria in respect of each product and report on the compliance annually to CPCB. The holder of the Ecomark shall grant access to the premises related to the product to CPCB and the registered agency for inspection and verification.