The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the Guidelines on the Extended Producer Responsibility for plastic packaging on 16^th February, 2022. The enforceable prescription of targets.under the EPR Guidelines,on the reuse of rigid plastic packaging and use of recycled plastic content in plastic packaging will reduce the use virgin plastic material in packaging across sectors. Further, the EPR guidelines promote development of plastic packaging which can completely biodegrade in the ambient environment subject to conditions and certified by regulatory entities.

The prohibition of identified single use plastic items will also reduce the use plastic material in different sectors. As per the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016, there is a complete ban on sachets using plastic material used for storing, packing or selling gutkha, tobacco and pan masala. The Ministry has also notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, on 12th August 2021, prohibiting manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of the identified single use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential with effect from the 1st July, 2022.

The local authorities are mandated for collection, processing and disposal of solid waste including non-biodegradable waste and plastic waste,as per Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. Under Swachh Bharat Mission, additional Central Assistance is provided to States and Union territories for solid waste management including plastic waste management. Further, the Guidelines for Extended Producer Responsibility on plastic packaging mandate producers, importers and brand owners for environmentally sound management of plastic packaging waste covered under the guidelines.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has been taking measures for awareness generation for elimination of identified single use plastics.  A series of awareness programmeshad been organized to avoid the use of single-use plastics across the country, as part of Iconic Week celebrations from 4th to 10th October, 2021, under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. A separate Awareness Campaign on Single Use Plastic was also organized in 2021. Four regional events were organized under the Awareness Campaign. In order to spread awareness amongst school students in the country, a pan India essay writing competition has also been organized.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply in Rajya Sabha, today.

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