To start manufacturing or trading compostable products in India, it is mandatory to obtain a manufacturer/seller certificate from CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board), India. The important part of the certification process is to test the samples at the CIPET or IIP (Indian Institute of Packaging) testing facility.
For obtaining manufacturer certificate:
1. Obtaining a consent letter from the local pollution control board of each state if you are building a new factory.
(CTE – Consent To Establish & CTO – Consent To Operate, these words change from state to state).
If you are an existing manufacturer of any other products and you want to start manufacturing compostable products, then you need to update the existing CTE and CTO by adding compostable products to the existing list of products.
Every state has its own State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) or Pollution Control Committee (PCC).
Note:
Only after receiving the consent, you can move ahead with the next step of testing the product. If the date of granting the consent letter is later than the starting date of testing, CPCB will reject the application and you need to perform the test again.
2. Sending the products for testing at CIPET or IIP. The product should be manufactured in the same factory and require approx. 1.5kg sample for performing 180 days of compostability test. The test will follow the IS/ISO:17088-2021 standard.
Various CIPET across India performs the test and the available testing slot can be found from the link given below.
Testing charges: approx. 4 lakhs plus GST (25% discount for MSME units)
If 90% degradation is achieved earlier, they can offer an interim test report and a provisional CPCB certificate can be obtained.
Note:
CIPET performs the test only, CPCB is the only certifying authority in India. The CIPET test report alone can not be used as a compostable certificate/license.
3. An online application on the CPCB portal needs to be done, once the test report is ready. Link: http://plastic.cpcb.gov.in/compostable/
All the relevant documents with test reports need to be uploaded here; Such as CTO, CTE, GST certificate, PAN, Incorporation certificate, Udyog Aadhar, detail of raw material used, process flow diagram, raw material details & purchase invoice, etc.
CPCB will process the application within seven days if all the documents are in line.
As per the definition, only compostable certificates are granted to industries. Not a single biodegradable certificate has been granted in India till now. So, beware of the products written biodegradable.
Complete SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) released by CPCB can be downloaded with the following link.