18-Jul-2022: Extended Producer Responsibility

The management of e-waste in the Country is regulated under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 and amendments thereof. The Rules, are effective from 01-10-2016 and have the following specific objectives:

• Extended Responsibility to producers to manage a system of E-waste collection, storage, transportation and environmentally sound dismantling and recycling through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Authorization.
• To promote and encourage establishment of an efficient e-waste collection mechanism.
• To promote environmentally safe and sound recycling through authorized dismantlers and recyclers of e-waste.
• To minimize illegal recycling / recovery operations.
• Reduce hazardous substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE).

As per E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016, the producer of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) as listed in Schedule I shall implement e-waste collection targets under Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) as per Schedule III which are as below:

Under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016, the authorization to e-waste dismantlers and recyclers is granted by the concerned State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) /Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) after ensuring that the applicant is utilising environmentally sound technologies and possess adequate technical capabilities, requisite facilities and equipment to dismantle or recycle and process e-waste in compliance to the guidelines specified by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). SPCBs/PCCs are also carrying out regular inspections of e-waste dismantling/recycling facilities for ensuring compliance.

As per the information available with CPCB, there are 472 authorised dismantlers/recyclers in 22 States having processing capacity of 14,26,685.22 Metric Tonne per annum (based on information received from SPCBs/PCCs and available on website of SPCBs/PCCs).With respect to extended producer responsibility, CPCB has provided authorization to total 2061 producers of electrical and electronic equipment across the country as on date. Further, the rules provide for monitoring of EPR of e-waste through CPCB, for which online portal has been developed in which target of each producer/producer responsibility organisation is duly assigned based on their production data of items as listed in Schedule-I of the Rules.

31-Mar-2022: Management of Plastic And Other Non-Biodegradable Material

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the Guidelines on the Extended Producer Responsibility for plastic packaging on 16th February, 2022. The enforceable prescription of targets. under the EPR Guidelines, on the reuse of rigid plastic packaging and use of recycled plastic content in plastic packaging will reduce the use virgin plastic material in packaging across sectors. Further, the EPR guidelines promote development of plastic packaging which can completely biodegrade in the ambient environment subject to conditions and certified by regulatory entities.

The prohibition of identified single use plastic items will also reduce the use plastic material in different sectors. As per the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016, there is a complete ban on sachets using plastic material used for storing, packing or selling gutkha, tobacco and pan masala. The Ministry has also notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, on 12th August 2021, prohibiting manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of the identified single use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential with effect from the 1st July, 2022.

The local authorities are mandated for collection, processing and disposal of solid waste including non-biodegradable waste and plastic waste, as per Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. Under Swachh Bharat Mission, additional Central Assistance is provided to States and Union territories for solid waste management including plastic waste management. Further, the Guidelines for Extended Producer Responsibility on plastic packaging mandate producers, importers and brand owners for environmentally sound management of plastic packaging waste covered under the guidelines.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has been taking measures for awareness generation for elimination of identified single use plastics.  A series of awareness programmes had been organized to avoid the use of single-use plastics across the country, as part of Iconic Week celebrations from 4th to 10th October, 2021, under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. A separate Awareness Campaign on Single Use Plastic was also organized in 2021. Four regional events were organized under the Awareness Campaign. In order to spread awareness amongst school students in the country, a pan India essay writing competition has also been organized.