Start recycling 25% of plastic packaging material, MoEF asks industry

The Union Environment Ministry has asked companies to collect and recycle at least 25 per cent of their plastic packaging material over the last two years and further enhance the target to 70 per cent in the next fiscal with an objective of reducing consumption of plastics in society.

From 2023-24 onwards all companies are to collect and recycle 100 per cent of their plastic packaging material as their mandated responsibility, according to a new guideline issued by the ministry to regulate and reuse the plastic waste generated every day.

The Extended Producers Responsibility on plastic packaging rules coupled with the prohibition of identified single-use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential, from July 1, 2022, are two crucial steps that have been taken by the government for reducing pollution caused by littered plastic waste.

Besides giving a target to the companies, the new rules also categorise plastics in four groups – (1) rigid plastics like containers, PET bottles, and other items with a fixed shape (2) flexible plastic packaging of single layer or multilayer plastic sheets, carry bags, plastic sachet or pouches (3) multilayer plastics with at least one layer of non-plastic material such as the carry bags of potato chips or crackers and (4) compostable plastics.

The guidelines set up targets for recycling of each of these categories from 2024-25 giving the industry two years to set up the recycling infrastructure and collection network.

“The rules not only talk about the collection but also focus on reuse and recycling of plastic waste. New categories like compostable, paper laminate and metalised MLP are included under EPR obligation, which will help develop the collection mechanism of such waste,” Ashish Jain, director Indian Pollution Control Association, the first producer responsible organisation registered with the Central Pollution Control Board told DH.

While only a few hundreds of brands using plastic packaging material are registered with the CPCB and state green boards, the actual number of manufacturers and users of plastic packaging material may run into lakhs.

The unauthorised and unregulated manufacturing of plastic packaging material and their use in the gray market would pose the toughest implementation challenge, said Swati Singh Sambyal, an independent researcher on plastic waste.

The ministry last year issued an order prohibiting the manufacture, import and sale of single-use plastics like plastic sticks for earbuds and balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration; plastic plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packaging films around sweet boxes, invitation cards and cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners less than 100 micron and stirrers from July 1, 2022.

“The new guidelines not only provide a framework to strengthen the circular economy of plastic packaging waste but also promote the development of new alternatives to plastics. They provide a road map for businesses to move towards sustainable plastic packaging,” said Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.

According to a Centre for Science and Environment report, India generated more than 33.5 lakh tonnes of plastic waste in 2018-19, (roughly 9,200 tonnes per day). Given that the total municipal solid waste generation is 55-65 million tonnes, it means plastic waste is roughly 5-6 per cent of the total solid waste generated in the country.

A 2015 CPCB report, however, presents a higher estimate of more than 50 lakh tonnes of plastic waste each year, using data from 60 cities.

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