India Now Allows Displaying of EPR Registration Number on Batteries with QR Codes and Barcodes 
India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has published the Battery Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2025 on February 24, 2025, which came into effect on the same day. The amendment rules, which stipulates the extended producer responsibility (EPR) of battery producers, relaxed the conditions of labelling on batteries, which includes allowing use of QR Codes and Barcodes to display EPR registration number, and exemptions on labelling were provided.
EPR Registration Number
Previously, EPR registration number must be displayed directly on the battery or battery pack, whereas a notification by Central Pollution Control Board published in May 2025 allows imported batteries and battery packs to display EPR registration number on the equipment instead. Now, the amendment rules allows the use of the following method, subject to information in writing to CPCB:
- Print a barcode or QR code containing the EPR registration number on battery (pack), equipment having battery (pack), packaging of battery (pack), packaging of the equipment having battery (pack), or bulk packaging of battery (pack) not for retail sale
- Print the EPR registration number on the product information brochure
Exemptions
Displaying of EPR registration number is exempted, in line with the exempted packaging under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011:
- Net weight or measure of the commodity is 10g or 10ml or less
- Any package containing fast food items packed by restaurant or hotel and the like
- Contains scheduled formulations and non-scheduled formulations covered under the Drugs (Price Control) Order,1995
- Agricultural form produces in packages of above 50 kg
Chemical Symbols of Lead and Cadmium
For batteries containing a fixated level lead and cadmium, it was required to display chemical symbols of Lead “Pb” and Cadmium “Cd”. The amendment rules now exempts batteries with the following lower levels Lead and Cadmium from displaying each symbols:
- Cadmium concentration is less than or equal to 0.002% (20ppm) by weight: Display of “Cd” not required
- Lead concentration is less than or equal to 0.004% (40ppm) by weight: Display of “Pb” not required
Download the amendment rules from link below:
https://egazette.gov.in/writeReadData/2025/261281.pdf
