E-Waste Recycling Authorization and CPCB Recycler Registration
To recycle or refurbish e-waste in India, you need State Pollution Control Board consents and hazardous waste authorisation, and then registration on the CPCB e-waste EPR portal under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022. Registration costs ₹15,000 for five years and lets a recycler generate EPR certificates that producers buy. We line up the approvals, file the portal application and keep the returns going.
What it is
E-waste recycling authorisation is a set of approvals, not one certificate. Your state board gives you consent to establish and operate the plant and an authorisation under the hazardous waste rules. The Central Pollution Control Board then registers you as a recycler or refurbisher on its e-waste EPR portal. Only after that can you lawfully take in e-waste and issue EPR certificates. Here is the catch: the order matters, because the portal asks for the state approvals first.
The governing law is the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022, notified as G.S.R. 801(E) and in force from 1 April 2023. They cover 106 kinds of electrical and electronic equipment. Under these rules only manufacturers, producers, recyclers and refurbishers register on the portal. In Haryana, the state-level approvals come from HSPCB through its OCMMS portal, starting with your HSPCB consent to establish and operate.
Recycler, refurbisher or dismantler?
Pick your role before you apply. The portal form and your obligations depend on it.
| Role | What you do | Portal registration |
|---|---|---|
| Recycler | Recovers materials such as gold, copper, aluminium and iron from e-waste | Required; generates EPR certificates |
| Refurbisher | Repairs equipment to extend its working life | Required; generates refurbishing certificates |
| Dismantler | Takes equipment apart and passes fractions on | Not required on the CPCB portal |
A dismantler still needs the state board consents that apply to its plant. Only the CPCB portal registration is not required.
Who it applies to
New recycling plants
Units set up to recover metals from e-waste. You need the state consents and hazardous waste authorisation before the portal will accept your application.
Existing scrap and dismantling units moving up
Take a Faridabad dismantling yard that sells circuit boards and copper scrap onward. To issue EPR certificates itself, it needs recycling capacity, a revised CTO and a portal registration.
Refurbishers
A unit in the NCR that repairs used laptops and resells them online is a typical case. It registers as a refurbisher and earns refurbishing certificates.
Why it matters
Earn from EPR certificates
Producers must meet e-waste recycling targets, and they meet them by buying EPR certificates from registered recyclers. No registration means no certificates and no revenue from them.
Source e-waste from across India
A registered recycler or refurbisher can collect and transport e-waste from any part of the country for recycling or refurbishing.
Stay on the right side of the rules
The rules allow only registered entities to recycle or refurbish e-waste.
Documents required
State approvals
- Consent to establish and consent to operate under the Water and Air Acts
- Authorisation under the Hazardous and Other Wastes Rules, 2016
- Capacity in tonnes per year, as stated in the CTO
Entity details
- PAN and GST registration certificate
- Certificate of incorporation, where applicable
- Authorised person’s details, e-mail and mobile
- Facility address with geo-coordinates
Plant evidence
- E-waste categories processed and end products recovered
- Geotagged photos and a geotagged video of all installed plant and machinery, kept accessible online
- Self-declaration on authentic data, occupational safety and fire safety
How it works
Secure the state approvals
We file for consent to establish, then consent to operate and hazardous waste authorisation with the state board. Your factory licence and fire clearances run alongside.
Prepare the portal application
We collect the documents, check that capacity matches the CTO and help you prepare the geotagged photos and video. In practice, keep that video link live; CPCB treats a dead link as concealment.
File on the CPCB e-waste portal
We submit the recycler or refurbisher application on eprewastecpcb.in and pay the ₹15,000 registration fee online.
Reply to CPCB within 7 working days
If CPCB flags shortcomings, you have 7 working days to reply. We draft the reply the same week.
File returns and generate certificates
After registration we help maintain portal records, file quarterly and annual returns, and pay the ₹5,000 annual maintenance charge.
Timelines
Shortcomings
CPCB communicates gaps in an incomplete application within 30 working days.
Your reply
You must respond to the shortcomings within 7 working days.
Grant
A complete application is registered within 30 working days.
Verification
Recyclers are inspected, physically or virtually, within 3 months of registration; refurbishers within 120 working days.
Validity
Registration is valid for five years from the date of the certificate.
Returns
Recyclers file quarterly and annual returns on the portal, with records of e-waste collected, dismantled, recycled and sent on.
What happens if you get it wrong
Revocation of registration
CPCB can revoke registration for false or concealed information, after notice and a hearing. An appeal lies to the Additional or Joint Secretary, MoEFCC, within 30 days.
Environmental compensation
Rule 22 provides for environmental compensation on any registered entity that breaches the rules.
Penalty under the EP Act
Section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 provides a penalty of ₹10,000 up to ₹15 lakh, plus up to ₹10,000 for each day the breach continues.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need hazardous waste authorisation before CPCB registration?
Yes, for a recycler. CPCB’s FAQ and its registration SOP list a valid consent to operate under the Water and Air Acts and an authorisation under the Hazardous and Other Wastes Rules, 2016 as prerequisites. Both come from your State Pollution Control Board, so the state work comes first. With those in hand, the portal application is the easy part.
What does recycler registration cost?
The CPCB fee for a new recycler registration is ₹15,000, valid for five years. Add an annual maintenance charge of ₹5,000. Renewal after five years costs ₹7,500 plus ₹0.625 per tonne of EPR certificates transacted in the previous five years, and any amendment costs ₹3,000. State board fees for consents and authorisation are extra and vary by state. We give you the full figure before you start.
How long does CPCB take to register a recycler?
A complete application is registered within 30 working days. If something is missing, CPCB points it out within 30 working days and you get 7 working days to reply. After registration, CPCB verifies a recycler’s facility, physically or virtually, within 3 months. A tidy file with matching capacity figures and a working geotagged video avoids most delays.
How do recyclers generate EPR certificates?
Recyclers generate EPR certificates for four end products: gold, copper, aluminium and iron, based on the e-waste actually processed. You upload proof of purchase for the e-waste and GST-linked sales invoices for the recovered metals. Producers then buy these certificates to meet their targets. Clean purchase and sales records keep certificate generation quick.
Can we buy e-waste from the informal sector?
Yes. CPCB accepts e-waste from the informal sector if you hold a sales receipt showing the seller’s name and address. For formal-sector purchases, the seller’s sales invoice is the proof. Collect full equipment wherever possible, as CPCB expects recyclers to take in whole units for proper recycling. Good receipts now save arguments at certificate time.
What is the price band for EPR certificates?
The E-Waste (Management) Amendment Rules, 2024 set the certificate price between 30% and 100% of the environmental compensation rate fixed by CPCB, whose guidelines were issued on 25 August 2025. The band is under challenge in the Delhi High Court, which in January 2026 stayed its enforcement against one petitioner. We follow the case and will tell you if the position changes.
Does a dismantler need to register on the portal?
No. Under the 2022 rules, only manufacturers, producers, recyclers and refurbishers register on the CPCB portal. A dismantler still needs the state board consents that apply to its plant. If you dismantle today and want to earn from EPR certificates, you will need to upgrade to a recycler registration. We can map out that path with you.
What happens to material we cannot recycle?
Fractions you do not recycle must go to other registered recyclers, and residue from the recycling process must go to an authorised treatment, storage and disposal facility. All of this is recorded on the portal for verification and audit. Keeping dispatch records against each lot means your mass balance holds up when CPCB looks at it.
What does Taxhint handle, and who does the technical work?
We handle the regulatory side: state consents, hazardous waste authorisation, the CPCB portal application, replies to queries, returns and renewals. Plant design and machinery come from your engineers and equipment suppliers, lab analysis from accredited laboratories, and inspections from CPCB and the state board. You focus on running the plant; we keep the registrations current.
What it costs
Our fee plus the government fee that applies to your case, quoted before you commit. Tell us the situation and we will price it exactly.
CPCB portal charges for recyclers and refurbishers are below. State board fees for consents and authorisation are separate.
| Item | Government fee |
|---|---|
| New registration (five years) | ₹15,000 |
| Renewal after five years | ₹7,500 plus ₹0.625 per MT of certificates transacted in the previous five years |
| Amendment or addendum | ₹3,000 |
| Annual maintenance charge | ₹5,000 |
Ready to begin?
Tell us your plant capacity and the e-waste you plan to process. We will sequence the state approvals and the CPCB registration for you.