What “recycled products” covers (for exports)

When buyers talk about recycled products exported from India they typically mean one or more of the following product groups (each has different buyers, specs and regulatory needs):

• Ferrous & non-ferrous metal scrap (HMS, shredded scrap, copper, aluminium, brass, brass turnings).
• Recycled plastics / plastic recyclates (flakes, washed regrind, recycled pellets / r-PE, r-PP, r-PET).
• Recycled paper & pulp (waste paper bales, OCC, mixed paper, recovered fibre).
• Recycled rubber / tyre crumb and other rubber fractions.
• E-waste derived materials (precious metals concentrates, printed-circuit-board fractions, battery materials) and refurbished electronics.
• Ship recycling (Alang and other yards supply large volumes of reclaimed steel and equipment).

Each product group behaves very differently in price, quality control and regulation — I’ll treat the load-bearing values and exporters below.

Quick market / export data

• Plastic recycling market (India) — market research estimates India’s plastic-recycling industry value at roughly USD 4.09 billion (2024) and projects steady growth (mid-single digit CAGR to 2030+). This is driven by domestic collection growth and rising demand for r-resins.
• Plastic recycling volumes — estimates put India’s waste-plastic recycling volume at ~10.9 million tonnes in 2024 (varies by source and definition). That is the available feedstock pool for recycled plastics and recycled-product manufacturing.
• Ferrous / metal scrap trade & volumes — India is both a big importer and exporter of scrap: industry trackers counted ~8,175 scrap metal export cargoes between Mar 2023–Feb 2024 (TTM), and India’s domestic scrap use in steel/foundry was reported in the high tens of millions of tonnes (used scrap ~29–35 Mt range in recent years). Domestic scrap consumption and imports are important drivers of trade flows.
• Ship recycling (Alang) — Alang remains one of the largest ship-recycling hubs globally and supplies reclaimed steel and parts to domestic buyers; volumes fluctuate year-to-year (Alang handled hundreds of thousands of LDT in recent years). Ship recycling is an important source of high-volume reclaimed steel and heavy components.
• E-waste and policy context — India is among the world’s largest e-waste generators; international monitors and the Central Pollution Control Board record rising e-waste tonnages and formalisation of recycling under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 (registration/authorization on CPCB portals for recyclers/refurbishers). That formalization affects how e-waste-derived materials can be traded/exported.

If you want, I can extract HS-code export dollar/ton numbers for any of the groups above (e.g., HS for “waste and scrap of iron/steel”, “plastic waste” HS codes, waste paper HS codes) from DGCI&S / trade tables and present a month-by-month table. (Say which HS codes you want and I’ll pull them.)

Region / cluster map

• Alang (Gujarat) — global ship recycling yard: largest volumes of reclaimed steel/metal and maritime spares originate here; buyers in steel and fabrication industries source from Alang yards.
• Major western ports (Nhava Sheva / Mundra / Kandla) — frequent entry/exit points for bulk scrap shipments (import and export containers/shipments). Scrap traders and aggregators use these ports for export consignments.
• Metal scrap collection nodes (Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Surat, Delhi NCR) — dense networks of scrap yards, aggregators and stripping facilities; many exporters consolidate from these hubs.
• Plastic recycling clusters — several states host large recyclers and washing/flake plants: Gujarat (industrial parks), Maharashtra (Mumbai / Pune), Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have sizeable recyclate processing and pelletising units. The feedstock is collected via informal and formal channels across cities.
• E-waste / electronics recycling hubs — Hyderabad/Telangana has grown fast in formal e-waste processing (major capacity growth in 2023–25), with other clusters in Bangalore, Delhi NCR and Mumbai. Under the 2022 rules, recyclers must be registered with CPCB/state boards.

Quality standards, certifications and regulatory requirements buyers must insist on

Different product groups require different proofs — below are the most relevant and widely accepted certifications/tests:

General / chain-of-custody & recycled content verification

• GRS / RCS (Global Recycled Standard / Recycled Claim Standard) or ISCC / ISCC PLUS — third-party schemes that verify recycled content and chain-of-custody (useful for plastic recyclates, fibres and complex products where buyers want traceable recycled content). These are widely used by global brands.

Plastics & polymer recyclates

• Material analysis: MFI (melt-flow index), density, intrinsic viscosity (for PET), contaminant levels, %PCR (post-consumer recycled content) — request laboratory certificates from accredited labs (NABL/ILAC). Specify allowable % contamination, moisture and non-polymer inclusions. Use ISCC/GRS to validate claims.

Metal scrap & reclaimed metals

• Grade certificates and chemical assays: e.g., HMS 1/2, shredded scrap (SS), copper cathode grade, alu scrap grades — require an assay report and grade declaration from an accredited testing lab or recognized classification (also include moisture/impurity %). Sellers should follow international scrapping/grade norms (ISRI descriptions are common reference points). For high-value non-ferrous, insist on ICP/OES composition reports.

E-waste derived materials & refurbished goods

• Regulatory compliance: recyclers/refurbishers must be registered/authorised under India’s E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 (CPCB/State registration). For exports of recovered fractions or refurbished electronics, insist on CPCB registration number, EPR documentation and chain-of-custody. Also ask for lab tests (heavy metals, RoHS compliance for circuits).

Paper, rubber, other recyclates

• Moisture content, fibre composition, pulp yield tests for wastepaper; ash & inorganic content for rubber crumb; third-party lab certificates and sample bale inspections.

Environmental & workplace standards

• ISO 14001 / ISO 9001 are common process certs; for tanneries or energy-intensive recyclers, environmental compliance evidence and effluent control matters — ask for recent environmental audits and local pollution-control board clearance. For high-value buyers, chain-of-custody, social responsibility (SA8000 or similar) and GRS add credibility.

India-specific competitive strengths

• Large feedstock & collection network — India’s urban centres and shipbreaking provide very large volumes of recoverable metal/plastics/paper enabling economies of scale (domestic volumes support exporters).
• Cost competitiveness in sorting/processing — lower labour and processing costs for manual/semiautomated sorting and pre-processing (flake washing, bale sorting, dismantling) make India attractive for buyers seeking lower landed costs.
• Growing formalisation & policy tailwinds — rules like the E-Waste (Management) Rules, Vehicle Scrappage/Steel Scrap policy and investments in recycling equipment create more formal, traceable supply for international buyers. Formalisation increases traceable, export-ready volumes.
• Ship recycling scale (Alang) — unique source of large volumes of reclaimed steel and maritime spares; few countries match that scale.

Key buyer risks & how to mitigate them

• Contamination & quality variability (especially plastics and mixed scrap) — many consignments are from mixed, informal streams; require pre-shipment lab testing (random samples), moisture/impurity limits, and clear rejection terms in the contract.
• Regulatory risk (export / import controls) — some countries restrict export of certain wastes or impose new duties (watch for changing rules in EU/other markets). Also, exporters must ensure e-waste recyclers/refurbishers are CPCB-registered before any cross-border movement.
• Traceability (informal chain) — insist on chain-of-custody documentation, supplier declarations of origin, and third-party inspections to avoid inadvertent trade in prohibited items.
• Price volatility & logistics — scrap prices move with commodity cycles; agree pricing formulas or hedging clauses where possible. For bulky consignments (ship steel, shredded scrap), include port / handling contingencies.

Practical buyer due-diligence checklist

Supplier credentials

• Legal name, IEC, GST, number of years in business, three export references (last 12 months). For e-waste ask for CPCB/State recycler registration no. (provide screenshot of portal entry).

Product / grade declaration

• Exact HS code, product name, declared grade (eg. HMS 1/2, Shredded 1.2, Copper scrap T2, r-PET pellet grade), moisture % limit, and max non-polymer / non-metallic contamination. Require seller to quote the grade standard used.

Test certificates (must attach)

• Metals: chemical assay (ICP/OES) showing elemental composition (Fe/Cu/Al/% impurities).
• Plastics: MFI, density, %PCR, contaminant report, moisture % and wash/flake lab results (NABL lab).
• Paper: bales — grade (OCC/ONP), moisture, % ink/contaminant.
• E-waste: dismantling report, metal concentrates assay, RoHS/heavy-metal tests for outputs where applicable.
• All tests must be from NABL/ILAC-recognized labs and carried out on the supplied lot (not only on a generic factory certificate).

Chain-of-custody & origin

• Bill of origin for the lot, collection manifest, buyer-traceable chain (who collected → who sorted → who processed), and declaration that no banned materials (CFCs, asbestos, contaminated medical waste) are present.

Environmental & process compliance

• Proof of environmental consent/clearance (as applicable), ISO 14001/9001 certificates (if available), ETP/CETP compliance evidence, and worker-safety documentation.

Inspection & acceptance

• Right to perform pre-shipment AQL inspection (third-party inspector named), sample retention, and a clear Rejection/Replacement clause (who pays return freight & demurrage).

Commercial terms

• Incoterm (FOB/CIF), payment terms, price adjustment formula for steel/plastic indices (if agreed), holdback until P/S inspection passed.

Packaging & transport

• Packing list, bale weights / container stuffing plan, fumigation certificates (if wooden pallets are used), and suggested HS code for customs.