EPR Recycling Obligation Calculator
A free estimate of the EPR recycling and collection obligation Indian producers carry, in tonnes, across plastic packaging, e-waste, non-ferrous metal, batteries, waste tyre and used oil. The calculator applies the target ramp notified for each stream to the quantity placed on the market, year by year to steady state.
Reviewed by Team GreenSutra · Updated 1 August 2026
Estimate the EPR recycling obligation
Free and instant. Results never sit behind a form.
Select the stream and the category or producer role, then enter the annual quantity placed on the market. The calculator returns the recycling or collection obligation in tonnes for each target year, straight from the published Schedule.
Enter the quantity for the base year the target applies to; the result scales directly with it. Targets follow the gazetted Schedule for each stream and are reviewed against the current notification. Financial years are labelled by the ending year, so FY28 is the 2027 to 2028 financial year.
Estimate only. Recycling and collection targets follow the gazetted Schedule for each stream and are reviewed against the current notification. The obligation is a quantity discharged through EPR certificates; this tool outputs no fee, environmental compensation or certificate price, and it is not legal or financial advice.
How the obligation is calculated
Two inputs, one published ramp
The tonnage introduced into the Indian market in the base year the target applies to. For e-waste, non-ferrous metal, tyre and used oil the base year sits one or two years earlier, set by the average life of the product.
Each stream splits the obligation by category or by the role of the obligated entity. The calculator carries the split for plastic packaging, e-waste, non-ferrous metal, batteries, waste tyre and used oil.
A recycling or collection percentage that rises each financial year to a steady state, taken from the Schedule notified for the stream. The obligation is that percentage applied to the quantity.
The obligation is met by generating or buying EPR certificates for the target tonnage. The environmental compensation and certificate cost on that tonnage are scoped separately.
Financial years are labelled by their ending year, so FY28 is the 2027 to 2028 financial year. Where a base year depends on the average product life, the calculator applies the percentage to the quantity entered rather than guessing the lag.
The targets behind the figure
Every percentage traces to the gazetted Schedule
The calculator applies the recycling or collection target notified for each stream to the quantity placed on the market. The year-by-year ramp shows in the estimate above; the steady-state targets sit below, and the full category tables live in each stream guide.
| Stream | Obligation type | Steady-state target | Reaches steady state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic packaging | Category recycling (I to IV) | 60% to 80% by category | FY2027-28 |
| E-waste | Recycling | 80% (established producer) | FY2027-28 |
| Non-ferrous metal | Recycling | 75% | FY2032-33 |
| Battery | Collection | 70% to 90% by type, on a lagged base year | varies by type |
| Waste tyre | Recycling | 100% | FY2024-25 |
| Used oil | Recycling (gross) | 50% | FY2030-31 |
For most streams the percentage applies to the quantity of an earlier base year, set by the average life of the product, which is why the calculator asks for the base-year quantity. The obligation is discharged through EPR certificates for that tonnage; the calculator reports the tonnage only, never a fee.
A worked example
Plastic Category I, 500 tonnes a year
A brand places 500 tonnes of rigid plastic packaging, Category I, on the market each year. From FY2023-24 the plastic EPR target is 100% of the eligible quantity, so the recycling obligation is the category percentage applied to the full 500 tonnes. The category ramp lifts the obligation every year to steady state.
| Financial year | Category I target | Recycling obligation |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 50% | 250 tonnes |
| 2025-26 | 60% | 300 tonnes |
| 2026-27 | 70% | 350 tonnes |
| 2027-28 onward | 80% | 400 tonnes |
The same 500 tonnes carries a 400 tonne recycling obligation at steady state. The obligation is met with EPR certificates; the compensation and certificate cost on those 400 tonnes are scoped in a discovery.
Why the obligation tonnage matters
What the estimate means for a producer
The obligation only grows
Every stream ramps to a higher steady-state target. A tonnage that looks modest in the first year compounds as the percentage climbs, so early registration and channel building cost less than a late scramble.
Tonnage drives the cost
The environmental compensation and the certificate price both apply per tonne of obligation. The target tonnage is the first number needed to size a compliance budget, which a discovery then scopes.
The category split decides it
Rigid, flexible, multilayered and compostable plastic carry different targets, as do portable, automotive, industrial and electric-vehicle batteries. The obligation turns on getting the category right.
Registration needs the numbers
The EPR registration and the annual returns report the quantity placed on the market and the target met. Producers that hold clean tonnage figures file in days, not weeks.
Frequently asked
Q·01What does the EPR calculator estimate?
Q·02Which waste streams does it cover?
Q·03Why does it not show a rupee cost?
Q·04What quantity should be entered?
Q·05How is the plastic obligation calculated?
Q·06Is the used oil figure the final obligation?
Q·07How accurate is the calculator?
Primary sources
Where the targets come from
Related services
Maintained by GreenSutra · Last reviewed July 2026