CPCB Extends the FY 2025–26 Annual Return Filing Timelines Under Plastic Waste EPR

Publish Date: 19 Sep 2026

Being a registered Producer, Importer, Brand Owner (PIBO) or Plastic Waste Processor (PWP) as per Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 of India, it is important to note that a modification has been done for Annual Returns by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC).

The modifications are based on CPCB’s transition from standalone Plastic Waste EPR Portal to common EPR Portal which caused some disruption in the process of Annual Return filing. Below is the detail of the change made.

What Has Changed?

The CPCB has combined all the portals for EPR relating to plastic packaging, ewaste, battery waste, tires, and used oil into a Common EPR Portal having a common EPR ID for each entity. In this process, the older portal for plastic waste EPR has been phased out and the Annual Return filing for plastic packaging was suspended temporarily for data migration purposes.

To give stakeholders adequate time to adjust, CPCB and MoEFCC have now notified a revised FY 2025–26 filing timeline:

• Plastic Waste Processors (PWPs): revised deadline to file the Annual Return
• Producers, Importers & Brand Owners (PIBOs): a separately extended deadline, allowing more time given the larger volume of reconciliation involved

Both dates are published on the CPCB website and the Common EPR Portal, and entities are encouraged to verify the exact date against the official notice before finalising submissions.

Why the Extension Was Necessary

This isn't the first time CPCB has pushed back the deadline for filing plastic EPRs; it has always been a part of the usual practice of the regulators to accommodate stakeholders in such scenarios. The current extension was issued by CPCB as a "special case," allowing:

• Time to access the data that has been migrated to the new CPCB EPR portal
• To prevent an unjust imposition of penalties due to the technical shift and not due to non-compliance
• To keep the reporting obligation as it is, while the filing window changes

Most importantly, this is a postponement and not a waiver. Every tonne of plastic packaging released into the market, each EPR certificate purchased, and each recycled content claim for FY 2025-26 have to be reported.

What PIBOs and PWPs Should Do Now?

• Log in via your Common EPR ID (CEPR ID) on the Common EPR Portal and verify your migrated registration and historical data
• Reconcile plastic packaging figures across your supply chain production, sales and category-wise breakdown
• Coordinate with recyclers and PROs to confirm EPR certificates and recycled-content compliance
• Prepare audit-ready documentation, including invoices, certificates and portal acknowledgements
• File before the revised deadline to avoid Environmental Compensation, show-cause notices or registration suspension

Why This Matters for Circularity

Timely, accurate EPR reporting isn't just a compliance checkbox it's the backbone of India's plastic circular economy. Annual Returns give regulators the visibility needed to track how much plastic is collected, recycled and responsibly processed nationwide, and they hold every stakeholder in the value chain accountable.

In Summary

CPCB has extended the FY 2025–26 Annual Return filing timeline for Plastic Waste EPR following its transition to the Common EPR Portal. While the filing window has moved, the underlying obligation to report plastic packaging data, recycling performance, and certificate compliance remains firmly in place. PIBOs and PWPs should use this extra time to reconcile data and file accurately not to delay.

At Nikita Greentech Recycling Limited, we help producers, brand owners, and processors navigate exactly this kind of regulatory shift from EPR certificate sourcing to compliant plastic waste recycling so your business stays on the right side of every deadline, extended or not.