Lok Sabha Question No. 1877 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-13
Subject: Plastic Pollution
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Pradeep Kumar Singh, Parbatbhai Savabhai Patel, Pocha Brahmananda Reddy

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

## LOK SABHA

## UN-STARRED QUESTION NO. 1877

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13/03/2023

## Plastic Pollution

1877. SHRI PRADEEP KUMAR SINGH: SHRI PARBATBHAI SAVABHAI PATEL: SHRI POCHA BRAHMANANDA REDDY:

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

- (a) whether it is true that country's plastic waste generation has more than doubled during the last five years with an average annual increase of 21.8 per cent, if so, the reasons for the same despite the presence of various regulatory mechanism;
- (b) whether the Government intends to launch a Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) in the biodegradable and recyclable plastics sector, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government is aware that Plastic pollution is also being considered as a big cause of Global challenges like climate change;
- (d) whether the Government is also aware that the biggest challenge in curbing Plastic pollution is to transport the used plastic for recycling in the factory; and
- (e) if so, the measure being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a)  As per the Annual Reports of Central Pollution Control Board, plastic waste generated in the country during the last five years, is given below:

|   S. No. | Year    | Plastic Waste Generated (TPA)   |
|----------|---------|---------------------------------|
|        1 | 2015-16 | 1,589,418                       |
|        2 | 2016-17 | 1,568,714                       |
|        3 | 2017-18 | 660,787                         |
|        4 | 2018-19 | 3,360,043                       |
|        5 | 2019-20 | 3,469,780                       |

The Plastic Waste Management Rules (PWMR), 2016, provides the statutory framework for management of plastic waste in an environmentally sound manner throughout the country.

(b) There is no proposal under consideration at present for launching a Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) in the biodegradable and recyclable plastics sector. The Plastic Waste Management Rules,  2016,  provide  the  statutory  framework  for  use  of  compostable  plastic conforming to Indian Standard IS:17088 after certification by Central Pollution Control Board before marketing or selling. As per Plastic Waste Management (Second Amendment) Rules, 2022,  biodegradable  plastics  shall  conform  to  the  standard  notified  by  Bureau  of  Indian Standards and certified by Central Pollution Control Board before marketing or selling.

(c) to (e):  Keeping in view that unmanaged and littered plastic waste has adverse impacts on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, identified single use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential, have already been prohibited, with effect from 1st July, 2022, vide Plastic  Waste  Management  Amendment  Rules,  2021  notified  on  12 th August  2021.  The Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  has  also  notified  the  Guidelines  on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic packaging vide Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022, on 16th February 2022.

The objective of enforceable obligations of minimum level of recycling of plastic packaging waste under Guidelines on Extended Producer Responsibility is to strengthen circular economy of plastic packaging waste and development of recycling infrastructure for plastic packaging waste.  Schemes  of  Ministry  of  Micro,  Small  and  Medium  Enterprises  and  Department  of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Government of India, are available for technical and financial assistance  for  development  of  recycling  infrastructure  for  plastic  waste,  as  per  scheme guidelines.

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