Lok Sabha Question No. 2771 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-07
Subject: Plastic Waste Management Centres
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Ratansinh Magansinh Rathod, Hasmukhbhai Somabhai Patel, Gowdar Mallikarjunappa Siddeshwara

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2771

TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.08.2023

## Plastic Waste Management Centres

## 2771.   SHRI RATANSINH MAGANSINH RATHOD: SHRI PATEL HASMUKHBHAI SOMABHAI: SHRI G.M. SIDDESHWAR:

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

- (a) whether plastic waste management centres have been set up in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to promote such centres across the country;
- (d) whether  the  bulk  of  plastic  trash  in  the  country  is  handled  by  the  unorganised  sector, including ragpickers and waste-dealers (kabadiwalas); and
- (e) if  so,  the  initiatives  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  make  them  part  of  the overall plastic waste management system as they are serving essentially as aggregators of junked plastic stuff?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) to (e): The Ministry had notified Guidelines on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for Plastic Packaging on 16 th 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 Guidelines also mandate registration of obligated entities viz. Producers, Importers and Brand owners (PIBOs) and Plastic Waste Processors (PWPs) on the centralized online EPR portal  for  plastic  packaging.  The  EPR  target  of  PIBOs  are  to  be  fulfilled  by  procuring  EPR certificates  from  registered  PWPs.  The implementation of extended producer responsibility on plastic  packaging  by  PIBOs  will  allow  further  development  of  the  waste  management  sector covering  collection,  segregation,  processing  of  plastic  waste,  with  the  engagement  of  the informal sector and unorganized sector including ragpickers and waste -dealers.

The total number of registered PWPs on the centralized EPR portal for plastic packaging is 2047. As on date, around 25953 Producers, Importers and Brand owners (PIBOs) are registered on the online  EPR  portal.  The  EPR  liability  for  the  year  2022-23  is  3  million  tonnes.  Already  EPR

certificates  for  2.9  million  tonnes  have  been  generated  by  registered  Plastic  Waste  Processors (PWPs) of which 1.75 million tonnes of EPR certificates have been procured by PIBOs to fulfill their EPR obligations.

Further, Plastic Waste Management Units are also created under Swachhh Bharat Mission Phase II  (Grameen).  Under  Swachhh  Bharat  Mission  Urban  2.0  (SBM-U  2.0),  Additional  Central Assistance is provided to States and Union Territories for solid waste management by Ministry of  Housing  and  Urban  Affairs.  Setting  up  of  waste  processing  facilities  such  as  Material Recovery  Facilities  (MRFs)  is  an  eligible  component  of  funding  for  sustainable  solid  waste management,  as  per  Operation  Guidelines  for  SBM-U  2.0.  As  per  Central  Pollution  Control Board  (CPCB),  the  total  number  of  existing  solid  waste  Material  Recovery  Facilities  in  the country is 4446 with a capacity of 31427.2 TPD.

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