In the wake of demand made by the Prime\nMinister to mitigate single-use plastics, the Ministry of Environment has\nreleased Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022 relating to plastic\npackaging. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has clarified this via\ntweeter account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Announcing the notification relating to\nthe Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022 via the Twitter account on\nThursday, Mr Yadav clarified that the directions facilitate a framework to\nboost the circular economy and advocate alternatives to plastic. The guidelines\npave a roadmap for entities to shift towards sustainable plastic packaging. As\nper the notification, the new guidelines shall come to effect with immediate\neffect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Plastic Waste Management (Amendment)\nRules, 2022 <\/strong>seek to classify plastic in four primary categories as shown\nbelow:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Category 1<\/strong> will entail rigid plastic packaging;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Category 2<\/strong> shall entail flexible plastic packaging\nof an individual layer or multilayer (comprising different types of plastics,\nplastic covers & sheets made of plastic sheet, plastic sachet, carry bags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Category 3<\/strong> shall include Multi-layered plastic\npackaging (comprising one layer of plastic and one layer of non-plastic) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Category 4<\/strong> shall include plastic sheets for\ncarrying bags and packaging produced from compostable plastics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With regards to plastic packaging, the\nextended producer responsibility encompasses reutilization, recycling, use of\nrecycled plastic content & end-of-life disposal by PIBOs. As per the new\nguidelines, the PIBOs shall have to facilitate the details pertaining to the\nrecycling certificates only from authorized recyclers along with the\nparticulars of quantity channelled for end of life disposal by June 30 of\nsubsequent FY while filing annual returns on the web-based portal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Further, Plastic Waste Management\n(Amendment) Rules, 2022 clarified that the particulars facilitated by PIBOs and\nauthorized plastic waste processors shall be scrutinized on the web-based\nportal. In case of difference, the lower figure shall be taken into account\ntowards meeting ERP obligations of PIBOs. The certificates shall be exposed to\nan inspection of CPCB, SPCB, or PCC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The GOI has also called for setting up a\ncentralized web portal by CPCB for the Registration and filing of annual\nreturns by PIBOs and plastic waste processors by March 31. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The new Plastic Waste Management\n(Amendment) Rules clarify that the web-based portal developed by CPCB shall\nreflect the plastic packaging material released into the marketplace by PIBOs\nin the FY. It will also manifest the particulars relating to the audit of the\nPIBOs and recyclers or other waste processors.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The online system would serve as the single window data repository with regards to orders and directions relating to the deployment of EPR for plastic packaging under PWM rules, 2016<\/strong>[1]<\/strong><\/a><\/sup>. Environmental compensation will be imposed based upon the polluter pays principle, with regard to non-compliance of EPR targets by PIBOs, to safeguard and improve the quality of the environment and restrain, curb, and lessen the pollution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Payment relating to environmental\ncompensation will not absolve the PIBOs of the compliances underpinned in these\nguidelines. The Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022 also state\nthat unfulfilled EPR directions for a given year shall be carried forward to\nthe subsequent year for the duration of three years.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the new guidelines, the GOI has declared the establishment of a committee formed by the State pollution control board<\/strong><\/a> under the chairpersonship of CPCB chairman to suggest measures to the ministry of environment for seamless implementation of EPR including amendments to EPR directions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The committee shall keep the tap on the\nEPR’s implementation and take appropriate steps to overcome hindrances. The\ncommittee shall also be assigned with an undertaking to guide and supervise the\nweb-based portal, including approval of pro forma or requisite forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The committee shall include\nrepresentatives from competent ministries\/departments such as;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Plastic Waste Management (Amendment)\nRules, 2022 mandate SPCBs or PCCs to furnish an annual report on the EPR web\nportal with regards to its fulfilment by PIBOs (which entail plastic packaging\nmaterial manufacturers) & plastic waste processors in the State\/UT to the\nCPCB.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The report shall also be furnished to the\nstate-based probing committee formed under Plastic Waste Management Rules,\n2016. The State pollution control board or PCC shall also furnish an annual\nreport with regard to recyclers or end-of-life disposal in the state\/union\nterritory to the CPCB by July 31 of the subsequent year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The new guidelines under Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022, seek to strengthen the circular economy by assigning more obligations to PIBOs and governing industries. Besides, new guidelines propose the inculcation of the new committee and web-portal which shall be managed by the Central Pollution Control Board<\/strong><\/a>. The new portal shall simplify the annual filing process and help strengthen the EPR ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMandating PIBOs to share the detail of recycling certificates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
CPCB to launch a centralized web portal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Carry forward of unfulfilled EPR directions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Inculcation of new committee by SPCB<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Annual return filing by SPCBs or PCCs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n