39 MNCs come together for circular economy coalition

Subject: Environment

Section: Pollution

Context:

The Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Industry Coalition (RECEIC)iwas launched on the sidelines of the 4th G-20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) and Environment and Climate Ministers’ meeting in Chennai.

Details:

As many as 39 multinational corporations (MNCs) from sectors such as steel, FMCG, electronics came together to pledge to adopt resource efficiency and circular economy principles to address environmental challenges rising from waste, including plastics, microplastics, e-waste, and chemical waste.
The coalition would be led by industries and the government would only play a supporting role.

Plastic waste and their recycling:

About 41 lakh tonnes of plastic waste were generated in the country in 2021-22, of which 30 lakh tonnes were allocated to 2,000-odd registered recyclers and plastic waste processing units.
Under Extended Producers’ Responsibility (EPR) guidelines established through the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022, 2.6 million tonnes worth of EPR certificates had been generated by plastic waste processors and around 1.51 million tonnes of those certificated had been purchased by PIBOs (Producers, Importers and Brand owners) against 2022-23 obligations.

Circular economy:

A Circular Economy is the one where products are designed for durability, reuse and recyclability and thus almost everything gets reused, remanufactured, and recycled into a raw material or used as a source of energy.
It includes 6 R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Refurbishment, Recover, and Repairing of materials.

Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022:

Key points:

The guidelines on EPR(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.
EPR(Extended Producer Responsibility) means the responsibility of a producer for environmentally sound management of the product until the end of its life.
In India, the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016-which is issued under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986– introduced the concept of EPR to manage plastics in India.

Classification of plastics:

The new rules classify plastics into four categories:
- Category 1 will include rigid plastic packaging
- Category 2 will include flexible plastic packaging of single layer or multilayer (more than one layer with different types of plastic), plastic sheets and covers made of plastic sheet, carry bags, plastic sachet or pouches.
- Category 3 will include Multi-layered plastic packaging (at least one layer of plastic and at least one layer of material other than plastic)
- Category 4 will include plastic sheet or like used for packaging as well as carry bags made of compostable plastics fall.

Details of recycling certificates:

According to the new rules, the producers, importers and brand-owners shall have to provide the details of recycling certificates only from registered recyclers along with the details of quantity sent for end-of-life disposal, by June 30 of next financial year while filing annual returns on the online portal.

Environmental compensation:

It shall be levied based upon polluter pays principle, with respect to non-fulfilment of EPR targets by producers, importers and brand owners, for the purpose of protecting and improving the quality of the environment and preventing, controlling and abating environment 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.