Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022 Notified
Recently the Central Government has notified the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has made amendments in the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 under the Environment Protection Act 1986.
Key features of the rules
- These rules provide guidelines on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic packaging.
- EPR means that the responsibility of environmental friendly management of the product throughout its use period will be that of its manufacturer.
- It may be mentioned that EPR was included as an important provision under the E-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011.
- Producers, importers and brand-owners have to provide the details of recycled products and their certificates only from registered recycling units.
- A customized online platform will be developed for tracking and monitoring the obligations.
- In case of non-fulfillment of EPR targets, provision has been made for environmental compensation based on payment principle by the polluter.
- Market mechanism will be adopted to allow sale and purchase of surplus EPR certificates. Some plastics cannot be recycled. To end the use period of such plastic, it will be used in road construction, waste to energy generation, waste to oil production etc.
Significance of these rules:
- These rules will provide a roadmap for businesses to adopt sustainable alternatives to plastic packaging.
- These will facilitate the development of new alternatives to plastics.
- These will strengthen the “cyclical economy” based on waste generated from plastic packaging.
The principle of EPR will be applicable to the following four categories of plastics
- Category 1: Rigid plastic packaging.
- Category 2: Single layer or multilayer (more than one layer in different types of plastics) flexible plastic packaging from plastic sheets and covers made of plastic sheets etc.
- Category 3: Multi-layer plastic packaging (at least one layer of plastic and at least one layer of material other than plastic)
- Category 4: Plastic sheet or similar plastic used for packaging, as well as carry bags made of compostable plastic.
Source – The Hindu
