Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change on Friday notified the Guidelines on Extended Producers Responsibility on plastic packaging under Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
The guidelines on extended producer responsibility coupled with the prohibition of identified single-use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential, with effect from 1st July 2022, are important steps for reducing pollution caused due to littered plastic waste in the country.
Objective of the Guidelines
In a tweet, Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav informed about the development and stated that guidelines will promote the development of new alternatives to plastics and provide a roadmap for businesses to move towards sustainable plastic packaging.
The Guidelines provide a framework to strengthen the circular economy of plastic packaging waste, promote the development of new alternatives to plastics and provide further next steps for moving towards sustainable plastic packaging by businesses.
Reuse of Rigid Plastic Packaging Material
The reuse of rigid plastic packaging material has been mandated in the guidelines to reduce the use of fresh plastic material for packaging.
The enforceable prescription of a minimum level of recycling of plastic packaging waste collected under EPR along with the use of recycled plastic content will further reduce plastic consumption and support the recycling of plastic packaging waste.
Extended Producer Responsibility Certificates
The EPR guidelines will give a boost for formalization and further development of the plastic waste management sector.
At a significant first, the guidelines allow for the sale and purchase of surplus extended producer responsibility certificates, thus setting up a market mechanism for plastic waste management.
Online Tracking and Monitoring of EPR Obligations
The implementation of EPR will be done through a customized online platform which will act as the digital backbone of the system.
The online platform will allow tracking and monitoring of EPR obligations and will reduce the compliance burden for companies through online registration and filing of annual returns.
In order to ensure monitoring on fulfillment of EPR obligations, the guidelines have prescribed a system of verification and audit of enterprises.
Polluter Pays Principle based Compensations
The Guidelines prescribe a framework for the levy of environmental compensation based upon polluter pays principle, with respect to non-fulfillment of extended producer responsibility targets by producers, importers & brand owners, for the purpose of protecting and improving the quality of the environment and preventing, controlling and abating environmental pollution.
The funds collected shall be utilized for the collection, recycling, and end-of-life disposal of uncollected plastic waste in an environmentally sound manner.
Under these producers, importers & brand owners, may operate schemes such as deposit-refund system or buyback or any other model, in order to prevent mixing of plastic packaging waste with solid waste.