Plastic EPR
Introduction
On March 18, 2016, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry published the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. According to the Rules, waste generators must take steps to reduce plastic waste generation, avoid littering plastic waste, ensure segregated waste storage at the source, and send over segregated junk to local bodies or agencies recognized by the local bodies. Local governments, gramme panchayats, waste generators, retailers, and street sellers are all required to manage plastic waste under the guidelines. Several new obligations are mandated under the Rules, including Extended Producer Responsibility.
Producers, Importers, and Brand Owners are all responsible for following:
- Producers must work out modalities for a waste collection system based on Extended Producer Responsibility and involving State Urban Development Departments, either individually or collectively, through their own distribution channel or through the local body concerned, within six months of the publication of these rules.
- Producers, Importers, and Brand Owners who introduce products to the market bear the primary obligation for collecting used multi-layered plastic sachets, pouches, or packaging. They must set up a way of collecting the plastic waste generated as a result of their products. When asking for Consent to Establish, Operate, or Renewal, this collection plan must be presented to the State Pollution Control Boards. Brand Owners whose consent was renewed prior to the announcement of these rules must submit a plan within one year of the announcement of these regulations and implement it within two years.
- Every producer must keep a record of the information on the person who supplies the plastic used as a raw material to make carry bags, plastic sheet, or similar products, or a cover made of plastic sheet, or multilayered packaging.
Registration of producer, recyclers and manufacturer
- Prior to commencing production, no person shall produce compostable carry bags or multilayered packaging unless the State Pollution Control Board or the Pollution Control Committee of the Union Territory concerned, or the CPCB, as the case may be, has granted them a registration.
- If producers or brand owners are operating in one or two states/UTs and more than two states/UTs than make an application to Concerned state pollution control board (SPCB) or Central Pollution Control Board, respectively.
Target
The EPR compliance targets will be determined by the model chosen by each producer, importer, and brand owner. Perhaps the collecting and disposal/recycling of plastic will be challenging in the first year of creating the value chain components (rag-pickers, assemblers, MRF, recyclers, and so on), but after the components are in place, reaching the goal will be easier. In the case of plastic waste management, a phased approach to accomplishing the goals is advised. In a five-year period, start with 30% and work your way up to 90%.
Documents required for EPR Authorization
1. Pan card and UID of Authorized Person
2. Pan card of unit
3. Rent Agreement/ Property Paper
4. CTO
5. Agreement with Recycler agreement/ULB
6. EPR Plan
What we Do?
1. Documents collection and verification
2. Preparation of EPR Plan
3. Facility of Authorised Recycler
4. Set up of collection mechanism
5. Online/offline filing
6. Delivery of certificate