December 12, 2024: Battery makers in India say proposed new national recycling guidelines can boost sustainability, but have cautioned the move risks ramping up costs.
The Indian Battery Manufacturers Association (IBMA) said on December 10 that environmental compensation guidelines unveiled by the Central Pollution Control Board propose a minimum pricing for extended producer responsibility (EPR) credits at 30% of the environmental compensation.
But this risks potentially raising compliance costs to unsustainable levels and could lead to battery price increases, the IBMA warned.
The IBMA is instead calling for free EPR credits for manufacturers that already cover waste management costs.
In addition, the association said the proposed minimum EPR credit price should be replaced with a market-driven pricing model for EPR certificates without a fixed minimum.
“IBMA members have significantly invested in reverse logistics to ensure proper collection, handling, and transportation of used waste batteries to authorized recyclers,” the association said.
“Including the cost of recycling in the environmental compensation and the requirement to buy EPR credits indexed at this inflated price could lead to double reimbursement to recyclers.”
India’s existing EPR system favours integrated recycling facilities that produce refined lead directly from waste batteries. But doing so excludes the majority of recyclers who deploy a two-step process — producing remelted lead before refining it to the required purity.
The IBMA is instead calling for all approved recycling processes linked to waste batteries under the EPR certificate system, irrespective of processing method.
IBMA president and CEO of Luminous Power Technologies, Preeti Bajaj, said: “Engaging deeply with industry stakeholders isn’t just important — it’s essential for crafting rules that truly work.
“Together, we have the power to create guidelines that are economically viable and environmentally progressive. Our goal is to foster a regulatory environment where innovation thrives in harmony with sustainable practices.”
