Policy on Plastic Waste Handling

The Plastic Waste Management Rules (PWMR), 2016, provides the statutory framework for plastic waste management in an environmentally sound manner throughout the country. The Ministry has notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, on 12th August 2021, prohibiting identified single use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential, from 1^st July 2022.The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has also notified the Guidelines on the Extended Producer Responsibility for plastic packaging vide Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2022, on 16^th February, 2022.

The following steps have been taken to strengthen implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 and also to reduce the use of identified single use plastic items:

(i) Thirty two States/UTs have constituted the Special Task Force under the chairpersonship of the Chief Secretary / Administrator for elimination of identified single use plastic items pursuant to the directions of the Ministry in this regard. A National Level Taskforce has also been constituted by the Ministry in this regard.

(ii) The State /UT Governments and concerned Central Ministries/Departments have also been requested to developa comprehensive action plan and implement it in a time bound manner. Fourteen States/UTs and twelve Central Ministries have developed their comprehensive action plans.

(iii) Under Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, additional Central Assistance is also provided to States and Union territories for solid waste management including plastic waste management. Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0 has specific focus on elimination of single use plastics. Single use plastic ban has been incorporated as an important component in Swachh Survekshan 2022, Star rating of Garbage Free Cities and as an entry condition for participating in Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge, to reduce plastic waste.

(iv) Directions have been issued by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) utilizing the power under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for setting up of institutional mechanism for enforcement of provisions of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 to all State Pollution Control Boards / Pollution Control Committees. Directions have also been issued by CPCB toE-commerce companies, leading single use plastic sellers/users, and plastic raw material manufacturers with respect to phasing out of identified single use plastic items.

This information was given by Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change in Rajya Sabha on 24 March 2022.