Aashima Gusain
October 15, 2024
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change vide notification G.S.R. 596(E). issued the Ecomark Rules, 2024 (“Rules”) for the grant of ‘Ecomark’ to products that meet the specified environmental criteria with respect to resource consumption and environmental impacts. Ecomark is a voluntary certification that enables consumers to make informed purchase decisions as well as encourages manufacturers to produce environmentally friendly products.
Ecomark certification is granted by the Bureau of Indian Standards (“BIS”) under the ‘Eco Mark Scheme, 1991[1]’ to environment-friendly products based on various parameters such as their impact on climate change, nature and biodiversity, energy consumption, generation of waste, emissions, pollution and use and release of hazardous substances.
The Rules which have come into effect from October 01, 2024, specify
the criteria for the grant of Ecomark to products which include cosmetics,
batteries, soaps and detergents, paper, food items, packaging and packaging
materials, electronics, plastics products and textiles. As per the Rules, an
Ecomark may be granted to a product which has a license or a certificate of
conformity from the BIS and/or a mandate of the ‘Quality Control Orders’ issued
by the Central Government and fulfils the criteria for grant of Ecomark
specified under the First Schedule of the Rules.
The First Schedule of the Rules specifies 17 (seventeen) broad categories of products and the criteria for the grant of Ecomark, which includes general and specific requirements for each category and/or sub-category of products. The Second Schedule provides for the format for application for Ecomark certification for a product under ‘Form 1’ and the format for appeals under ‘Form 2’.
As per the Rules, a product may qualify for Ecomark if it:
The key factors that may be considered by the Central Pollution
Control Board (“CPCB”) while developing the criteria for the grant of
Ecomark include the production process, source of raw material, usage of
natural resources, environmental impact of the product, emissions or waste
resulting from the production processes, disposal of the product and its
packaging and suitability of the product for recycling.
Further, CPCB shall develop a web portal under the Rules, to facilitate applications for grant of Ecomark, submission of reports by the holders of Ecomark, and registration of verifiers and auditors. In addition to the aforementioned, CPCB shall also be required to disclose the following details on the web portal:
Further, the holders of Ecomark shall be required to affix the
Ecomark label on only such products in respect of which the Ecomark has been
granted. An Ecomark granted under the Rules shall be valid for 3 (three) years
or until the change of criteria, whichever is earlier. However, the CPCB may
suspend or cancel an Ecomark upon being satisfied that the holder may have provided
false information or willfully concealed required information.
The Rules demonstrate the government’s intention to encourage the
demand for environment-friendly products with reduced adverse impacts on the
environment, thereby supporting the principles of Lifestyle for Environment
(LIFE), promoting lower energy consumption, resource efficiency and
conservation and preventing misleading information on environmental aspects. The
Ecomark certification will not only benefit consumers but also aid
manufacturers in enhancing the consumers’ trust in the certified products and positioning
the products better in global markets.
[1] https://cpcb.nic.in/eco-scheme/
; https://www.bis.gov.in/product-certification/operation-of-eco-mark-scheme/
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