To improve plastic waste management and guarantee accountability, India’s CBIC now requires importers of plastic raw materials to register for EPRs prior to customs clearance.

Before their shipments can pass customs, importers of plastic raw materials must provide proof of registration on the Centralized EPR Portal for Plastic Packaging, according to Instruction No. 21/2025-Customs, which was issued by India’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) on July 2, 2025.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) letter F. No. CP-20/10/2024-UPC-II-HO-CPCB-HO-Part(3) dated June 3, 2025, is cited in the policy. The definition of “importer” is further broadened to include “importers of plastic raw material, including in the form of resin or pellets, or intermediate material to be used for manufacturing plastic packaging, such as films or preforms,” in accordance with the provisions of the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2024. As a result, these importers must sign up on the consolidated plastic packaging platform.

The CBIC’s calculated action shows a determined attempt to improve compliance within India’s current PWM framework, which has long struggled with lax enforcement and disjointed implementation.

EPR holds manufacturers, importers, and brand owners responsible for the full life cycle of the plastic products they bring to market in accordance with the PWM Rules. EPR imposes clear requirements for end-of-life disposal, recycling, reuse, using recycled content, and submitting an annual return.

The following requirements apply to importers, regardless of whether their line of work involves plastic packaging, any product that comes in plastic packaging, or plastic raw materials or intermediate materials used in the production of plastic packaging:

· Register with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the centralized EPR portal.

· Submit category-wise data on all imported plastic.

· Adhere to annual EPR targets.

· Keep records for annual returns filing.

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