What proposed PWM rules mean for the businesses? (Part 1)
The Plastic Waste Management Rules, notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 2016, are now being amended, and the ministry has notified the draft rules on 11th March 2021. Keeping in view the impact of single-use plastics on the environment, especially the marine environment, the government has proposed that a prohibition on the manufacture, use, sale, import, and handling of some of the single-use plastic items may be imposed on a pan India basis.
Through this series, we try to see the implications. The notification can be accessed here. The proposed notification tries to bring more clarity among stakeholders through
- Rule Applicability:
Including Brand-owners, recyclers, Co-processors. Previously rule applicability didn’t mention them. This will help plastic converters and producers convince brands to share the economical burden of EPR.
2. Plastic carry bag thickness:
Minimum thickness of the plastic carry bag shall be 120 microns effective 30.09.2021 This thickness is 2.5 times the existing minimum thickness of 50 microns. This will result in shopkeepers paying more for retail packaging of various FMCG products. On the positive side, we might see faster adoption of paper bags and cloth bags as the retail chains might look for alternatives that are economically viable compared to plastic carry bags. Also, indirectly recycling rates might go up as waste pickers and waste collectors find it viable to recover those bags.
3. Defining and standardizing the Non-woven bags:
Non-woven fabric is a flat or tufted porous sheet that is made directly from fibers, molten plastic, or plastic films. From 30.09.2021 such bags shall have a minimum thickness of 240 microns, double the thickness of plastic carry bags. Non-woven bags used to be passed on as cloth bags since they look and feel similar to cloth. Unrestrained use of non-woven bags will be controlled.
4. New definition for Single-use plastic item:
Defining ‘single-use plastic item’ — plastic commodity intended to be used for the same purpose before being disposed of or recycled.
5. Marking and Labelling:
Clarity is provided for ‘marking and labeling. It is mandated to the manufacturer, producer, and brand owner for all packaging plastic.
For further clarification please refer to the original notification here http://moef.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Draft-Plastic-waste-Notification.pdf
In case you have suggestions and/or objections you can write to the Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, Jor Bagh Road, Aliganj, New Delhi-110003, or email: satyendra.kumar07@nic.in, amit.love@nic.in.
Contributed by- Rahul Juware, Director and Ashlesha Karande, Communication Executive at Social Lab
Social Lab Environmental Solutions is a waste management company, which helps brands take-back and scientifically dispose of post-consumer plastic waste of their products. Brands take our services to fulfill Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) obligation under Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2018.
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