Plastic Waste Management Rules

The Plastic Waste Management Rules was issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The Plastic Waste Management rules are applicable to every local body, manufacturer, waste generator, Gram Panchayat, producers and Importers. The rules are framed to reduce the maximum usage of the plastic bags or covers and also to check the process of manufacture and recycling of the plastic.

Conditions

The following are the conditions to be followed in case of manufacture, distribution, importer stocking, use and sale of the carry bags, plastic sheet or cover and multilayered packaging.

The plastic packaging or carry bags should be of natural colour without any pigment.
The pigment or colourant added should be in accordance with the Indian Standard: IS 9833:1981, which is titled as “List of pigments and colourants for use in plastics in contact with foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and drinking water”.
Products made from the recycling of plastic should not be used along with the food stuffs.
The carry bags made from recycled plastic or virgin should be more than 50 microns thick.
The plastic sheets and cover made of the plastic sheet should have a thickness of more than 50 microns, except when the width spoils the product.
Without proper registration, the manufacturer cannot sell plastic as a raw material to the producer.
Plastic material sachets should not be used in tobacco, selling gutkha and pan masala.
The plastic recycling should be in accordance with the India Standard: IS 14534:1998 under the title “Guidelines for Recycling of Plastics”
The carry bags containing compostable plastic should follow the Indian Standard: IS 17088: 2008, Specification for Compostable plastic.
The plastic in the form of Vinyl Chloride Copolymer, Vinyl Acetate and Maleic Acid should not be used in packaging.

Responsibility of local body and Gram Panchayat

The responsibilities of the local body and the Gram Panchayat in the management of plastic waste are:

Check the process, segregation, collection, transportation, storage and disposal of plastic waste.
Have a check about the environment.
Direct the recyclable waste to the recyclers.
Encourage society and groups to engage with the waste pickers.
Make sure that the disposal of non-recyclable waste follows the guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Board.
Prohibit the burning of plastic waste in public.

The local body can create bye-laws to manage plastic waste. The Gram Panchayat can work on plastic waste management either on their own or with the help of the agencies.

Responsibility of the Waste Generator

The waste generator should:

Minimise the plastic waste that is created and segregate the waste in accordance with Solid Waste Management Rules, 2000.
Avoid littering of the waste.
Handover the segregated waste to the local body, Gram Panchayat, agencies or the waste pickers who have registered.
If the bye-laws of the local body states, then the waste generator should pay a user fee for the management of the waste.
The plastic waste generated during an event should be segregated and managed by the organiser of the event in accordance with Municipal Solid Waste Rules, 2000.

Responsibility of the Importers, Producers and Brand Owners

Collect the used multilayered plastic sachet, packaging or pouches.
Create a system to collect back the waste.
Use of the non-recyclable, non-energy recoverable multilayered plastic should be discontinued two years of its manufacture.
The producer should maintain a record about the details of the people who supply the plastic as raw material.

Responsibility of Retailers and Street Vendors

Should not sell their products in a plastic carry bags or covers, that are not manufactured, labelled or marked according to the rules. If any vendor or retailer does not follow this, then they would be liable to pay fine mentioned in bye-laws of the local body.

Marking or Labelling

The plastic bag or multilayered plastic packaging must have the following printed in English

Name of the manufacturer.
Registration number of the manufacturer.
Thickness of the plastic (in case of carry bags)
Name and certificate number (in case of carry bags made of compostable plastic).
Compostable should be mentioned according to the Indian Standard IS or ISO 17088:2008, Specification for “Compostable plastic” (in case of carry bags made of compostable plastic).
Recycled carry bag should have the recycled mark that follows the Indian Standard IS 14534:1998, under the title “Guidelines for Recycling of Plastics”.

Registration of recycler, producer and manufacturer

The registration can be done from the State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee of the Union Territory.
Registration should be done to manufacture the carry bags and for recycling of plastic bags.
Registration should be done before the production.
The producer should apply in Form-I for registration or renewal of registration.
The person recycling or processing the waste should apply in Form-II.
The manufacturer who supplies plastic to the producer should apply in Form-III.
The producer should have the action plan for the plastic waste management system signed by the Secretary of Urban Development of the State.
The recycler should have valid consent and a certificate of registration by District Industries centre or any Government agencies.
The registration will be granted after checking whether the facilities and equipment are safe for plastic waste usage. The registration will be granted within 90 days of the application.
Initially, the registration will be valid for a year, and later it will be granted for three years.
The renewal of registration should be applied 120 days prior to the expiry date.

The Government of State or Union Territory should implement a committee to monitor plastic waste management.

Annual Report

The annual report in Form-IV should be submitted by the person involved in the recycling and processing of waste. The report should be submitted by the 30th of April every year. The report should be submitted to the Pollution Control Committee or the State Pollution Control Board.
The local body should submit an annual report in Form-V to the Urban Development Department by 30th June every year.
The Pollution Control Committee or the State Pollution Control Board should submit an annual report in Form-VI to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) before 31st of July every year.
The CPCB should submit a consolidated report along with recommendations to the Central Government before 31st of August every year.

The official notification on Plastic waste management rules can be accessed below:

Plastic-Waste-Management-Rules

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