The Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Government of India (MoEF&CC) introduced amendments to the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, on March 14th, 2024, aiming to strengthen plastic waste management practices.

Here are the key changes:

Changes have been made to the definitions of biodegradable plastics, importer, manufacturer, producer, and seller.

Manufacturers of commodities made from compostable or biodegradable plastics must report the quantity introduced in the market and pre-consumer waste generated to the CPCB.

Local bodies and panchayats at the district level have been assigned significant responsibilities under the amended rules.

Recycled plastic packaging or commodities must bear a label indicating the percentage of recycled plastic used, following specified rules.

Plastic packaging or commodities made from compostable plastics must bear a label stating suitability for industrial composting, conforming to the Indian Standard: IS/ISO 17088:2021.

Changes have been made regarding the submission dates for annual reports, as mentioned in the notification.

EPR categories previously included rigid plastic, flexible plastic, multilayer plastic packaging, and compostable plastics. A new category, Category 5, has been added for biodegradable plastics in plastic packaging.

These amendments aim to streamline plastic waste management practices and ensure environmental sustainability.

For more information, refer to the notification here.

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