Extended Producer Responsibility

Extended Producer Responsibility

News: Recently, the Union Environment Ministry has come out with a draft notification for regulation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) under Plastic Waste Management rules 2016.

What is EPR?
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) means the responsibility of a producer for the environmentally sound management of the product (plastic packaging) until the end of its life.
• India had first introduced EPR in 2011 under the Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 and E-Waste Management and Handling Rules, 2011.
• The draft specifies the quantity of waste that will have to be managed by producers, importers and brand owners who generate plastic packaging waste in India.
• Earlier, the Ministry had notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021. These rules prohibit specific single-use plastic items which have “low utility and high littering potential” by 2022.

Latest rules:

Plastic packaging
• The new EPR guidelines covers three categories of plastic packaging including:
• Rigid plastic
• Flexible plastic packaging of single layer or multilayer (more than one layer with different types of plastic), plastic sheets and covers made of plastic sheet, carry bags (including carry bags made of compostable plastics), plastic sachet or pouches
• Multi-layered plastic packaging which has at least one layer of plastic and at least one layer of material other than plastic.
• It has also specified a system whereby makers and users of plastic packaging can collect certificates — called Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) certificates — and trade in them.
• Only a fraction of plastic that cannot be recycled will be eligible to be sent for end-of-life disposal such as road construction, waste to energy, waste to oil and cement kilns.
• Only methods prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board will be permitted for their disposal.
• Companies will have to collect at least :
• 35% of the target in 2021-22.
• 70% of the target by 2022-23.
• 100% of the target by 2024.
• In 2024, a minimum 50% of their rigid plastic will have to be recycled as will 30% of their category 2 and 3 plastic.Every year will see progressively higher targets and after 2026-27, 80% of their category 1 and 60% of the other two categories will need to be recycled.There are similar targets, with slight variations, for companies that use packaging material as well as import them.