Lok Sabha Question No. 1729 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-13
Subject: Plastic Waste Management
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Dushyant Singh

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1729

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.02.2023

## Plastic Waste Management

## 1729. SHRI DUSHYANT  SINGH:

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

- (a) the  details  of  prescribed  minimum  quantum  of  recycling  of  plastic  collected  under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR);
- (b) the details of estimated jobs and profits created through formalization and development of the plastic waste management sector post new EPR guidelines;
- (c) whether any specialized agency has been empowered/created to enforce compliance with the single-use plastic ban and EPR deadlines and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the fines/compensations paid due to failure to meet EPR targets by producers, importers and brand owners since 1st December, 2021; and
- (e) the details regarding the sale and purchase of EPR certificates and the estimated size of the market of plastic waste management which were established through the same?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) to (e): The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the Guidelines on  Extended  Producer  Responsibility  (EPR)  for  plastic  packaging  vide  Plastic  Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022, on 16th February 2022.  The Guidelines stipulate mandatory  targets  on  EPR,  recycling  of  plastic  packaging  waste,  reuse  of  rigid  plastic packaging and use of recycled plastic content.

The  year-wise  target  for  minimum  level  of  recycling  of  plastic  waste  across  different categories of plastic packaging is given below:

| Year            | Target (% of Extended Producer Responsibility)   |
|-----------------|--------------------------------------------------|
| 2024-25         | 30-50                                            |
| 2025-26         | 40-60                                            |
| 2026-27         | 50-70                                            |
| 2027-28 onwards | 60-80                                            |

The  enforceable  obligation  of  minimum  level  of  recycling  of  plastic  packaging  waste collected  under  extended  producer  responsibility  guidelines  will  further  strengthen  circular economy of plastic packaging waste and  allow for development of the  waste management sector  through  involvement  of  formal/informal  sector.  As  per  Plastic  Waste  Management Rules,  2016,  as  amended,  Central  Pollution  Control  Board  and  State  Pollution  Control Board/Pollution  Control  Committees,  as  required,  enforce  the  provisions  of  the  rules. Direction was issued on 6th October 2020 to all SPCBs/PCCs regarding registration of plastic brand owners/ producers and fulfilment of EPR as per provision of PWM Rules.

The centralized EPR portal for plastic packaging has a separate module for sale and purchase of  surplus  EPR  certificates.  The total  number of  registered  producers,  importers  and  brand owners on the centralized EPR portal for plastic packaging is 5000  with an EPR target of 22.37 Lakh TPA.  The total number of registered plastic waste processors is 1602.

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