Rules 44 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Chapter VIII, inserted by G.S.R. 438(E) of 1 July 2025 and in force from 1 April 2026, extends producer responsibility to scrap of non-ferrous metals: aluminium, copper, zinc and their alloys. Rules 44 to 50 cover definitions, registration on a CPCB portal, the producer's recycling target, how recyclers earn certificates, refurbishing, trading and the portal. Three new Schedules list the products covered, the targets and the products that may be refurbished.
These Rules are current as amended up to G.S.R. 636(E) dated 16 July 2026 (Chapter VIII on non-ferrous metal scrap in force from 1 April 2026). Later amendments, CPCB guidelines, notifications and portal instructions should be checked. If you manufacture, import or recycle products made of aluminium, copper or zinc, see our compliance documentation service.
Manufacturers, producers, collection agents, refurbishers and recyclers register on the CPCB portal (rule 45). A producer's recycling target is a percentage of the quantity of Schedule X products put on the market in year Y-X, where X is the product's average life, rising from ten per cent in 2026-2027 to seventy-five per cent from 2032-2033 (Schedule XI). Producers meet it by buying certificates from registered recyclers (rule 46). Importers of used products or scrap carry hundred per cent of the previous year's imports.
Rule 44: definitions
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| "non-ferrous metals" | Aluminium or copper or zinc or their alloys, for these rules |
| "product" | Any product made of non-ferrous metals as listed in Schedule X |
| "producer" | A person or entity, whatever the selling technique (dealer, retailer, e-retailer), who manufactures and offers to sell such products and their components, consumables, parts or spares under its own brand; or offers to sell, under its brand, products made by others; or offers to sell imported products under its own or the original brand; or imports used devices or products or scrap of non-ferrous metals |
| "manufacturer" | A person, entity or company manufacturing any product, component or spare part of non-ferrous metals specified in Schedule X |
| "bulk consumer" | An entity using at least one thousand tons of Schedule X products at any point in a financial year, including an e-retailer |
| "collection agent" | A person or entity that collects scrap of non-ferrous metals |
| "recycling" | Melting and refining end-of-life Schedule X products, producing value-added products or recycled metals and alloys, in an environmentally sound manner with facilities as in CPCB SOPs or guidelines |
| "refurbisher" | A person or entity repairing or assembling used Schedule XII products to extend working life and selling them under the same or a new brand |
| "orphaned products" | Non-branded Schedule X products, or those produced by a company that has closed |
The three Schedules
Schedule X: products covered. Eighteen entries: cans for beverages, aerosols and similar; packaging foils for food and pharma; doors, windows and shutters; aluminium composite panel; aluminium partitioning and grills; utensils; furniture including doorknobs, handles and hardware; roofing and ceiling sheets; motors, pumps and alternators (other than automobile grade); conductor cables, wires and strips (other than automobile grade); sanitary ware and fittings; electrical fittings (other than automobile grade); aluminium alloy bicycle; transformers (other than automobile grade); electric generator sets; centralised air conditioning plants; apparel products such as belt buckles, zips and shoes; and toys.
Schedule XI: targets. The producer's recycling target, by weight:
| Year (Y) | Recycling target |
|---|---|
| 2026-2027 | 10 per cent of the quantity of products made of non-ferrous metals in year Y-X, where X is the average life of the product |
| 2027-2028 | 10 per cent of the same |
| 2028-2029 | 30 per cent of the same |
| 2029-2030 | 30 per cent of the same |
| 2030-2031 | 50 per cent of the same |
| 2031-2032 | 50 per cent of the same |
| 2032-2033 onwards | 75 per cent of the same |
| Units established after 1 April 2026 | The obligation starts after two years and follows the target above |
| Importers of used devices, products or scrap | Hundred per cent of the non-ferrous metals imported in year (Y-1) |
The notes say the target may be reviewed and increased after the end of 2033-2034, and that the average life of aluminium, copper and zinc products will be specified by the CPCB. The Rules do not print an average life, so a producer cannot compute its target until the CPCB specifies it.
Schedule XII: products that may be refurbished. Eleven entries: doors, windows and shutters; aluminium composite panel; aluminium partitioning and grills; furniture; motors, pumps and alternators; sanitary ware and fittings; electrical fittings; aluminium alloy bicycle; transformers; electric generator sets; and centralised air conditioning plants.
Schedule XIII (minimum recycled content) is explained in rules 51 to 59.
Rule 45: registration
The CPCB registers the following on the portal: manufacturers, producers, collection agents, refurbishers and recyclers. Registration is by an online application in the portal's form (45(2)); on receipt of a complete application the CPCB "shall grant certificate of registration" (45(3)). An entity in more than one category registers separately under each (45(4)). No entity may carry on business without registration (45(5)), and registered entities must not deal with unregistered ones (45(6)). False information or concealment can lead to revocation for up to five years after a hearing and environmental compensation under rule 60 (45(7)). The CPCB may charge registration fees based on capacity (45(8)).
Rule 46: the producer's responsibility
Every producer is responsible for recycling scrap of non-ferrous metals and must meet the Schedule XI target for Schedule X products, with help from third parties such as collection agents or dealers, but the responsibility "shall lie entirely on the producer only". The target is reduced by a factor laid down by the CPCB for operational loss, if any. A producer may meet the target by buying certificates through the portal from registered recyclers; details are cross-verified on the portal and the lower figure counts; purchased certificates are subject to audit by the CPCB or its authorised agencies.
Rule 47: how certificates are generated
The CPCB generates certificates in favour of a registered recycler by the formula QEPR = QP × CF, where QP is the quantity of the end product and CF the conversion factor (quantity of inputs required for one unit of output), set by the CPCB on the basis of technologies and other factors. A certificate is valid for two years from the end of the financial year of generation and then extinguishes automatically. Certificates have a unique number and denominations of 100, 200, 500, 1000 and 10,000 kilograms or as the CPCB fixes with the Steering Committee's approval.
Rule 48: refurbishing
Schedule XII products may be refurbished. A refurbisher registers on the portal, and a refurbishing certificate may be generated in the CPCB's format. On production of refurbishing certificates, the producer's target is deferred for the corresponding quantity "by such duration as determined by the Central Pollution Control Board" and added back when the extended life of the refurbished product ends. Only seventy-five per cent of the deferred quantity is later added to the producer's target (48(3)).
Rule 49: buying and trading
| Sub-rule | Provision |
|---|---|
| 49(1) | A producer may buy certificates up to current-year liability plus leftover liability plus ten per cent of the current-year liability |
| 49(2) | The target is met by proportionate purchases every half-year |
| 49(3) and (4) | Purchases adjust automatically against liability, earlier first; purchase of refurbishing certificates defers the target automatically |
| 49(5) and (6) | Availability and transactions are recorded on the portal |
| 49(7) and (8) | The Central Government may by order establish trading platforms, operated per its guidelines |
| 49(9) and (10) | The CPCB fixes the highest and lowest exchange price at hundred per cent and thirty per cent of the compensation under rule 60; exchange prices lie between them |
Rule 50: the portal
The CPCB establishes a portal for registration, half-yearly and annual returns, fulfilment and transaction of certificates and sharing of information; it is the single point data repository; it is to be functional within six months of commencement of the Amendment Rules, 2025, after which all EPR activities are online; and the Central Government may by order relax a return period by up to nine months.
Example
Malabar Cookware Private Limited sells branded aluminium utensils, a Schedule X product, and is a producer. It registers on the portal. For 2026-2027 its target is ten per cent of the quantity of utensils it sold in the year that falls one average life earlier, once the CPCB specifies that life. It plans half-yearly purchases of certificates from registered recyclers, reconciles them on the portal and files its half-yearly and annual returns.
Need help with non-ferrous EPR?
Our compliance documentation team can help you classify your products against Schedule X, register and prepare returns.
Key takeaways
- The Chapter covers aluminium, copper and zinc and their alloys and 18 listed products.
- Entities register on the CPCB portal; no business without registration and no dealing with unregistered entities.
- The target is a rising percentage, from ten per cent to seventy-five per cent, of the products put on the market one average life earlier.
- Certificates come from registered recyclers by QEPR = QP × CF and are valid for two years from the end of the financial year.
- Refurbishing defers the target, and only seventy-five per cent of the deferred quantity is added back.
Read next
- Rules 51-59: duties of manufacturers, producers, collectors, refurbishers and recyclers
- Rules 60-64: environmental compensation, penalty, audit and Steering Committee
- Rules 25-30: EPR for used oil
- Section 6 of the EP Act: rules to regulate environmental pollution
Disclaimer: Based on the environment rules, guidelines and notifications named above as published in the Gazette of India, read with every amendment notified up to 3 October 2026 that the article names (consolidated reading texts from the CPCB 2021 compilation and the Goa State Pollution Control Board 2025 compilation were checked against the amending notifications), as consulted on 3 October 2026. Later amendments, CPCB guidelines, State Board orders and fees should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.