Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016
India generates ~15,000 tonnes of plastic waste daily, of which about 6,000 tonnes remains uncollected. Recognizing the lack of a suitable eco-friendly substitute, the focus is on better waste management systems rather than a complete ban.
Salient Features:
- Minimum thickness of carry bags increased from 40 to 50 microns to aid collection and recycling.
- Encouragement to use plastic waste for road construction, energy recovery, or waste-to-oil.
- Rural areas brought under the ambit; implementation responsibility lies with Gram Panchayats.
- Generators must segregate plastic waste at source, pay user fees, and manage waste after public events.
- Retailers and vendors are prohibited from supplying non-compliant plastic bags and must register with local bodies.
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mandates producers and brand owners to collect and manage waste from their products.
- SPCBs monitor manufacturers’ compliance, and CPCB sets guidelines for difficult-to-recycle plastics.
Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2018
- Phasing out of multilayered plastic (MLP) that is non-recyclable or non-energy recoverable.
- Central and state-level registration for producers, importers, and brand owners.
- Explicit pricing for carry bags omitted.
Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2021
- Ban (effective July 1, 2022) on specific single-use plastic items, e.g., ear buds, straws, plates, cups, polystyrene decoration items, etc.
- Minimum thickness for carry bags increased to 75 microns (Sep 2021) and 120 microns (Dec 2022) to allow reuse.
- Plastic packaging waste to be managed under EPR for Producers, Importers, and Brand Owners (PIBO).
- India also piloted a UNEA-4 resolution addressing single-use plastic pollution.
Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022
- Plastics classified into four categories:
- Rigid plastic packaging
- Flexible plastic packaging (single/multilayer), sheets, covers, pouches.
- Multilayered plastic packaging with one plastic and one non-plastic layer.
- Compostable plastic sheets and bags.
- Mandated reuse of rigid plastics to reduce fresh plastic production.
- Allowed trade of EPR certificates to establish a market mechanism.
- CPCB to establish a centralized online portal for registration and reporting by all stakeholders.
- Environmental compensation imposed on violators based on the polluter pays principle.
- State Pollution Control Boards/Committees submit annual EPR compliance reports.
A CPCB-chaired committee oversees EPR implementation and suggests improvements.