Government notifies Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022 – applicable to all types, including EV batteries

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India published the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022, on 24^th August 2022 to ensure environmentally sound management of waste batteries. New rules will replace Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001.

The rules cover all types of batteries, viz. Electric Vehicle batteries, portable batteries, automotive batteries and industrial batteries. Here are the salient features:

– Extended Producer Responsibility – The rules function based on the concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), where the producers (including importers) of batteries are responsible for the collection and recycling/refurbishment of waste batteries and the use of recovered materials from wastes into new batteries.

• EPR mandates that all waste batteries be collected and sent for recycling/refurbishment, and its prohibits disposal in landfills and incineration. To meet the EPR obligations, producers may engage themselves or authorise any other entity for the collection, recycling or refurbishment of waste batteries.

• The rules will enable the setting up of a mechanism and centralized online portal for the exchange of EPR certificates between producers and recyclers/refurbishers to fulfil the obligations of producers.

– The rules promote the setting up of new industries and entrepreneurship in the collection and recycling/refurbishment of waste batteries. 

– Mandating the minimum percentage of recovery of materials from waste batteries under the rules will bring new technologies and investment in the recycling and refurbishment industry and create new business opportunities.

– Prescribing the use of a certain amount of recycled materials in the making of new batteries will reduce the dependency on new raw materials and save natural resources.

– Online registration & reporting, auditing, and committee for monitoring the implementation of rules and taking measures required for the removal of difficulties are salient features of rules for ensuring effective implementation and compliance.

– On the Polluter Pays Principle, environmental compensation will be imposed for non-fulfilment of Extended Producer Responsibility targets, responsibilities, and obligations set out in the rules. The funds collected under environmental compensation shall be utilised in collection and refurbishing or recycling of uncollected and non-recycled waste batteries.

Link to Battery Waste Management Rules 2022 Document

Industry reactions

Dr Akshay Singhal, Founder and CEO of Log9 Materials (battery-tech start-up) – “The newly introduced Battery Waste Management standards by the Government under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) concept addresses two important concerns: first, efficient and effective waste management of all Li-Ion batteries that are nearing the end of their useful life and are expected to end up in landfills in a few years, avoiding any residual pollution impact. And secondly, it emphasizes the importance of investing in and nurturing the recycling of these used batteries, hence reducing the reliance on fresh resource mining. We at Log9 welcome the new standards, and further, we are happy and proud to note that our goal of Pioneering Responsible Energy (PRE) is being manifested here through the notion of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)“.

Mr. Shubham Vishvakarma, CEO and Chief of Process Engineering of Metastable Materials (Bengaluru-based urban mining startup) – “The Battery Waste Management Rules announced by the Government of India is an excellent and much-needed step towards bringing to the fore innovations and myriad growth opportunities for the battery waste management and battery treatment space in our country, especially at a time when the ongoing EV boom in India is leading us to increasing concerns on e-waste. Under the new Rules notified, the Government has mandated a minimum percentage of recovery of various materials from end-of-life batteries — which is bound to enable the growth of novel business models such as urban mining in order to reduce India’s foreign dependency on procuring raw materials for EV batteries and other types of batteries. Furthermore, we are happy to note that the utilization of certain amount of recycled/recovered materials in terms of manufacturing of new batteries has been prescribed; this has the potential to be proved to be a game-changer in the long run in boosting a circular economy concept across various industry sectors.“