In August, 2026, India’s Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) issued a directive under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, requiring covered entities—including producers, importers, brand owners, manufacturers, sellers, and plastic waste processors—to register on the Common EPR Portal and comply with the portal’s annual reporting requirements. 

The CPCB highlighted several instances of non-compliance, including companies operating without mandatory registration and businesses engaging in transactions involving plastic materials or products with unregistered entities. As part of the directive, transaction and declaration functionalities involving unregistered entities will be blocked on the portal. Consequently, companies that fail to complete registration may be unable to carry out relevant transactions or continue their operations in India. 

Additionally, entities that remain unregistered and fail to submit the required annual reports may face enforcement actions and penalties, including environmental compensation and suspension of operations.