PLASTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT RULES, 2016 – WHAT’S NEW?

PLASTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT RULES, 2016 – WHAT’S NEW?
1. Rural areas have been brought in ambit of these Rules since plastic has reached to
rural areas also. Responsibility for implementation of the rules is given to Gram
Panchayat.
2. First time, responsibility of waste generators is being introduced. Individual and bulk
generators like offices, commercial establishments, industries are to segregate the
plastic waste at source, handover segregated waste, pay user fee as per bye-laws of the
local bodies.
3. Plastic products are left littered after the public events (marriage functions, religious
gatherings, public meetings etc) held in open spaces. First time, persons organising
such events have been made responsible for management of waste generated from
these events.
4. Use of plastic sheet for packaging, wrapping the commodity except those plastic
sheet’s thickness, which will impair the functionality of the product are brought under
the ambit of these rules. A large number of commodities are being packed/wrapped in
to plastic sheets and thereafter such sheets are left for littered. Provisions have been
introduced to ensure their collection and channelization to authorised recycling
facilities.
5. Extended Producer Responsibility: Earlier, EPR was left to the discretion of the local
bodies. First time, the producers (i.e persons engaged in manufacture, or import of
carry bags, multi-layered packaging and sheets or like and the persons using these for
packaging or wrapping their products) and brand owners have been made responsible
for collecting waste generated from their products. They have to approach local
bodies for formulation of plan/system for the plastic waste management within the
prescribed timeframe.
6. SPCBs will not grant/renew registration of plastic bags, or multi-layered packaging
unless the producer proposes the action plan endorsed by the concerned State
Development Department.
7. Producers to keep a record of their vendors to whom they have supplied raw materials
for manufacturing carry bags, plastic sheets, and multi-layered packaging. This is to
curb manufacturing of these products in unorganised sector.
8. The entry points of plastic bags/plastic sheets/multi-layered packaging in to
commodity supply chain are primarily the retailers and street vendors. They have
been assigned the responsibility of not to provide the commodities in plastic
bags/plastic sheets/multi-layered packaging which do not conform to these rules.
Otherwise, they will have to pay the fine.
9. Plastic carry bag will be available only with shopkeepers/street vendors pre-registered
with local bodies on payment of certain registration fee. The amount collected as
registration fee by local bodies is to be used for waste management.
10. CPCB has been mandated to formulate the guidelines for thermoset plastic (plastic
difficult to recycle). In the earlier Rules, there was no specific provision for such type
of plastic.
11. Manufacturing and use of non-recyclable multi-layered plastic to be phased in two
years.