Globally, plastic waste has become a major environmental concern, posing challenges for ecosystems and human health.
In India, the issue of plastic waste poses a significant environmental concern, prompting the implementation of specific regulations and initiatives. The country generates around 3.5 million metric tonnes of plastic waste annually, with less than half being recycled, leading to ecological harm, biodiversity loss, climate change, and resource scarcity. Embracing the concept of a circular economy, which prioritizes reuse, repair, and recycling, becomes crucial for waste reduction and resource preservation. Circular plastic economy models, emphasizing waste reduction and maintaining the value of plastic products, present a promising solution to these challenges.
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a vital environmental policy approach that extends a producer’s responsibility to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle. To facilitate EPR implementation, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in India introduced the ‘Guidelines on Extended Producer Responsibility for Plastic Packaging’ through the fourth Amendment to the Plastic Waste Management Rules on February 16, 2022. According to these guidelines, all Producers, Importers, and Brand Owners (PIBOs) are mandated to register through the centralized online EPR portal developed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The Country’s national Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework operates through the “Centralized Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Portal for Plastic Packaging.” Developed in collaboration with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH under the Indo-German Development Cooperation Project ‘Circular Economy Solutions Preventing Marine Litter in Ecosystems (CES),’ the portal aims to prevent marine litter and plastic waste leakages by showcasing technological solutions for plastic reduction, reuse, and recycling. The CES project supports EPR implementation in selected ecosystems, facilitating digital tracking, monitoring, and reporting of plastic leakages (marine litter). GIZ India, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), implements the CES project on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV).
Launched on April 5, 2022, the EPR portal enrolls Producers, Importers, and Brand Owners (PIBOs) and Plastic Waste Processors (PWPs), serving as a unified platform for effective EPR compliance and rule implementation. EPR covers rigid, flexible, multi-layered, and compostable plastic packaging categories, setting targets for PIBOs to meet through engagements with PWPs, aligning with reuse, minimum recycling, and recycled plastic content norms as per EPR guidelines.
Moreover, in a recent draft notification by MoEFCC on October 16, 2023, the second amendment to the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) rules has been published. This aims to comprehensively cover plastic supply chain actors through registration under rules, ensure environmentally sound management for compostable and biodegradable plastics, utilize online tools for reporting, and establish an electronic trading platform for certificates among registered waste processors.
The EPR portal is a digital platform for PIBOs to work towards these targets by engaging with PWPs. For this purpose, the portal comprises seven modules, including registration mechanisms for PIBOs and PWPs, the generation and transfer of EPR certificates by PWPs, annual return submissions, environmental compensation assessments for violations, third-party audits of PIBOs and PWPs, and trainings and capacity building.
Role of the EPR Portal in Ensuring Compliance and Traceability
The EPR portal serves as a digital platform for PIBOs to achieve targets through interaction with PWPs. It comprises seven modules, covering registration mechanisms, EPR certificate generation and transfer, annual returns, environmental compensation assessments, third-party audits, and training.
Ensuring compliance and traceability, the portal initiates with PIBO and PWP registration, generating automatic targets for PIBOs. PWPs generate EPR Certificates based on waste processing, verified by SPCBs/PCCs and transferrable to PIBOs for target fulfillment.
Real-time monitoring ensures transparency, cross-verification of data, and accessible registration and target data for the public. Open-access data aids dissemination and research on sustainable plastic waste management. Recorded transactions enable traceability, with non-compliance leading to environmental compensation based on portal records and third-party audits, reinforcing accountability.
For F.Y. 2022-23, an approximate cumulative EPR target of 30.1 lakh tonnes per annum (TPA) was recorded for PIBOs across plastic categories on the EPR portal. Visit https://eprplastic.cpcb.gov.in/#/plastic/home for more information.
Stakeholder Collaboration for Successful EPR Implementation
Achieving the targets set by Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) depends on the active involvement of all stakeholders in the plastic packaging value chain, including suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, consumers, and regulators. Each stakeholder should grasp their distinctive role in the circular economy of plastics. Primary stakeholders also require technical insight into the operations of the EPR portal to effectively carry out various aspects of EPR compliance. The training and capacity-building modules on the EPR portal are designed to enrich stakeholders’ knowledge and comprehension of policy and portal operations. Access the training materials at https://eprplastic.cpcb.gov.in/epr-lms/.
Addressing Policy Requirements: On-Ground Challenges
Improving recycling capacity is crucial for policy compliance and future recycled plastic demand. Inadequate infrastructure, especially for challenging materials like multilayer plastics, hinders progress. Efficient waste management, particularly segregation, is essential for successful recycling.
PWPs and ULBs selling EPR certificates can fund advanced waste management, reducing reliance on virgin resources and closing the loop. ULBs, supporting PWPs or becoming PWPs, play a pivotal role in the circular economy, enhancing public waste management and promoting proper waste disposal behaviors. EPR certificate sales also create job opportunities and formalize the role of the informal sector in waste management, showcasing the circular economy’s significant social impact.
Moving Towards a Circular Economy in Plastic Waste Management with EPR
EPR can create an enabling environment in the waste management sector. For example, brands can implement reverse logistics to introduce reuse and refill concepts for food and non-food items. EPR can also lead to the circular design of products and packaging through knowledge sharing among manufacturers, producers, waste management enterprises, and consumers. It impacts the entire product lifecycle through waste minimisation and improved source segregation, meets the demand for recycled plastics and promotes innovative recycling technologies.
EPR targets are based on the principles of ‘reduce,’ ‘reuse,’ and ‘recycle,’ making this a pioneering policy in the country’s circular economy. Data transparency, monitoring, and reporting are essential for the effectiveness of such environmental policies. The EPR portal has emerged as a unique digital solution for closed-loop systems and paves the way for a more sustainable future in plastic waste management in India.
Authors:
Ankur Yadav, Technical Expert, Circular Economy Solutions Preventing Marine Litter in Ecosystems (CES) Project, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH India
Dr. Rachna Arora, Team Leader, CES Project, GIZ India
Vibhusha Gupta, EPR Consultant, CES Project, GIZ India
