Lok Sabha Question No. 3206 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-06
Subject: Plastic Packaging
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: M. K. Raghavan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.  3206

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2019

## Plastic Packaging

## 3206. SHRI M.K. RAGHAVAN:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps taken by the Government to address the environmental hazards created by plastic packaging materials;
- (b) whether the Government is aware that mountain fills of plastic waste are now created in almost all urban and rural areas leading to sub-urban plastic landfills;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the action taken to eliminate such landfills;
- (d) whether the Government has provided financial assistance to State Governments including Kerala for recycling and disposal of plastic and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the Government has provided any substitute material for the packaging sector and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) the other steps taken to penalise defaulters who do not adhere to the plastic packaging norms of the Government?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

- (a) The Government has notified Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. As per the Rules, the generators of waste,including plastic packaging waste, have been mandated to take steps to  minimize  generation  of  plastic  waste,  not  to  litter  the  plastic  waste,  ensure  segregated storage  of  waste  at  source  and  handover  segregated  waste  to  local  bodies  or  agencies authorized by the local  bodies. The rules  also  mandate the responsibilities  of local  bodies, gram panchayats, waste generators, retailers and street vendors to manage plastic waste. The rules mandate the producers, importers and brand owners to work out modalities for waste collection system based on the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility.
- (b) and (c) It is estimated that around 25,940 Tonne per day of plastic waste is generated in the country, out of which about 60% waste is collected and recycled by the plastic recycling industries,  therefore,  there  is  no  separate  landfill  area  occupied  by  the  plastic  waste. However,  the  mixed  municipal  solid  waste  reaching  the  dumping  sites  contains  plastic  as well.With  regard  to  existing  landfill  sites,  the  Rules  provide  criteria  for  closure  and rehabilitation of old dumps. The solid waste dumps which have reached their full capacity have to be closed and rehabilitated by reducing the waste by bio mining and waste processing followed by placement of residues in new landfills or capping.

In  order  to  reduce  and  eliminate  landfills,  94.77%  of  door-to-door  collection  of  waste  and

71.97% of source segregation of waste has been achieved by the Urban Local Bodies across the country. Plastic including plastic packaging segregated in such manner are given for safe disposal that inter-alia includes recycling, co-processing in cement plants, road construction etc.

(d) to (f) MoHUA  is  implementing  the  Swachh  Bharat  Mission  (Urban)  (SBM-U) project under which various projects have been taken up. Under this programme during the mission  period  of  2014-15  to  2019-20,  an  allocation  of  Rs.  7424.24  Cr  has  been  madefor Solid  Waste  Management  Projects,  which  also  include  plastic  waste.  An  amount  of  Rs 5024.45  Cr  has  been  released  to  the  State  Governments  till  November,  2019.No  proposal from the State Government of Kerala is pending with the Union Government.

The Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 defines the norms for compostable plastic as an ecologically sustainable and green alternatives of plastics. The provision of thickness is not applicable to carry bags made up of compostable plastic. However, the compostable plastics has to conform  to the Indian Standard: IS 17088:2008  titled as Specifications for Compostable Plastics. Certificate has been granted to 53 compostable plastic bags manufacturers/sellers till now.

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