**Policy Summary: Regulation of Waste Tyre Imports in India**
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) regulates the import of waste tyres into India under the Hazardous and Other Wastes Management and Transboundary Movement (HOWM) Rules, 2016, established under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. These rules prioritize the safe storage, treatment, and disposal of hazardous waste.
The HOWM Rules, 2016, permit the import of hazardous and other wastes listed in Part A and Part B of Schedule III for recycling, recovery, reuse, and utilization, including co-processing, by actual users with permission from the MoEFCC and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade license, as applicable. Disposal of such wastes is prohibited. Waste tyres fall under Schedule III Part B and are allowed for import by actual users for recycling/recovery to produce reclaim rubber, crumb rubber, crumb rubber modified bitumen, and recovered carbon black.
The MoEFCC implemented Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Waste Tyres in July 2022, via an amendment to the HOWM Rules, 2016, to ensure environmentally sound management of waste tyres. The EPR notification prohibits the import of waste tyres for producing pyrolysis oil or char. The rules ensure that imported waste tyres are used by actual users for recycling/recovery into end products other than Tyre Pyrolysis Oil (TPO).
The Waste Tyre EPR Portal, developed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), monitors and ensures that imported waste tyres are not used for TPO production. The CPCB revised the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Recycling of Waste Tyre Scrap for TPO units in January 2025, focusing on improving the environmental performance of TPO units nationwide. These revised guidelines have been circulated to all State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) for immediate implementation and are available on the CPCB's website.
This information was provided by the Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh, in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change: The Indian government ministry responsible for environmental protection and climate change.
Hazardous and Other Wastes Management and Transboundary Movement Rules, 2016: Indian regulations under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, governing the management and movement of hazardous wastes.
Environment Protection Act, 1986: An act of the Parliament of India to protect and improve the environment.
Directorate General of Foreign Trade: The agency responsible for implementing the foreign trade policy of India.
Extended Producer Responsibility: An environmental policy approach in which producers are given a significant responsibility – financial and/or physical – for the treatment or disposal of post-consumer products.
Waste Tyre EPR Portal: A portal developed by the Central Pollution Control Board to monitor the import and use of waste tyres.
Central Pollution Control Board: A statutory organisation under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
State Pollution Control Boards: State-level organizations responsible for implementing environmental regulations.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION: BAN ON IMPORT
OF WASTE TYRES
Posted On: 21 AUG 2025 5:56PM by PIB Delhi
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has notified the Hazardous and Other
Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) (HOWM) Rules, 2016 under the Environment
(Protection) Act, 1986, to ensure safe storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous and other wastes in an
environmentally sound manner.
The HOWM Rules, 2016 also allow import of the hazardous and other wastes listed in Part A and Part B of
Schedule III for recycling, recovery, reuse and utilization including co-processing. Import of hazardous and
other wastes is not permitted for disposal in the country. The import of hazardous and other wastes listed in
Part A and Part B of Schedule III of the said Rules is allowed only to actual users with due permission from
the MoEF&CC and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade license, as applicable. The Waste pneumatic and
other tyres falls under Schedule III Part B of the said rules and allowed for import by actual user for
recycling/recovery purposes to get end product such as reclaim rubber, crumb rubber, crumb rubber modified
bitumen and recovered carbon black.
MoEF&CC has notified the ‘Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Waste Tyre’ in July, 2022, through
amendment in Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 to
ensure environmentally sound management of waste tyres. As per the Waste Tyre EPR notification, import of
waste tyre for producing pyrolysis oil or char is prohibited. The rules have provision to ensure that the
imported waste tyre is used by the actual user for recycling/recovery purposes to get end products other than
Tyre Pyrolysis Oil. Also, Waste Tyre EPR Portal developed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
under the said rules, ensures that imported waste tyre is not used for the production of tyre pyrolysis oil.
CPCB has revised the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) with respect to ‘Recycling of Waste Tyre Scrap
for the recovery of Tyre Pyrolysis Oil, Pyro Gas and Char in Tyre Pyrolysis Oil (TPO) Units’ in January,
2025. The SOP has focussed on improvement of environmental performance of TPO Units across the country.
The revised guidelines have been circulated to all the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)/Pollution
Control Committees (PCCs) for the immediate implementation and are also available at CPCB’s website.
This information was provided by UNION MINISTER OF STATE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND
CLIMATE CHANGE, SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH, in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha
today.
*****
VM/SK
(Rajya Sabha US Q3263)
(Release ID: 2159293)