Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2022

Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2022

TOPIC: Environment

Context- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified comprehensive guidelines on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic packaging, which comes into immediate effect.

Concept-

Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022:

• 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 include Multi-layered plastic packaging (at least one layer of plastic and at least one layer of material other than plastic).
  • category 4 : plastic sheet used for packaging as well as carry bags made of compostable plastics.
• The EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility )covers reuse, recycling, use of recycled plastic content and end of life disposal by producers, importers and brand-owners.
  • 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.
  • The certificates shall be subject to verification by Central Pollution Control Board or State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee.
• Online portal: The government has also called for establishing of a centralised online portal by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for the registration as well as filing of annual returns by producers, importers and brand-owners, plastic waste processors of plastic packaging waste.
  • The centralised portal would act as the single point data repository with respect to orders and guidelines related to implementation of EPR for plastic packaging under Plastic Waste Management Rule, 2016.
• Committee for implementation: As per the new notification, the government has announced setting up of a committee which shall be constituted by the CPCB under chairpersonship of CPCB chairman, to recommend measures to the environment ministry for effective implementation of EPR, including amendments to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) guidelines.
• SPCBs or PCCs shall submit annual report on EPR portal with respect to its fulfilment by producers, importers and brand-owners (which include manufacturers of plastic packaging material) and plastic waste processors in the state/Union Territory to the CPCB.