The Chairman, H.P. State Pollution Control Board reviewed the Status of Plastic Waste Management in the State today. Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 were notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the year 2016 and there has been recent amendments i.e. Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022 notified on 16th February 2022. The main objective of these amendments is to ensure the proper management of plastic packaging waste, which has become a major environmental concern in recent years. The rules aim to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated and increase the recycling and disposal of plastic waste.
The rules mandate the registration of Producers, Importers & Brand-Owners (PIBOs) and Plastic Waste Processors (PWPs) on the centralized Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) developed Extended Producer Responsibility Portal (EPR). All PIBOs are required to register on the EPR portal developed by CPCB under the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022. This registration process will involve providing details about the types and quantities of plastic products produced, imported or sold by an organization, as well as information about the measures taken to manage plastic waste. This will help the Central and State Pollution Control Boards to keep track of the plastic waste generated by different organizations and monitor their efforts to manage it.
It also mandates PIBOs to fulfil their Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) targets, which are aimed at ensuring that Producers & Brand Owners take responsibility for the end-of-life management of their products. PIBOs are required to fulfil these targets, which may include measures such as collection, segregation, recycling, reuse and disposal of plastic waste, as well as providing infrastructure for plastic waste management. The Plastic waste processors shall submit annual returns after end of every financial year by 30th April of the financial year on the quantity of plastic waste processed category-wise as per prescribed pro forma on the centralized portal developed by Central Pollution Control Board. The PIBOs shall file annual returns on the plastic packaging waste collected and processed towards fulfilling obligations under Extended Producer Responsibility with the Central Pollution Control Board or concerned State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee as per pro forma prescribed by Central Pollution Control Board by the 30th June of the financial year.
The EPR targets are intended to encourage PIBOs to take a more active role in the management of plastic waste and to reduce the burden on local governments. It has been observed that there are approximately 800 Plastic Waste packaging units (comprising of Producers, Importers, Brand Owners and Recyclers) operational in the State. Out of 800 such units only 84 (comprising of Producers, Importers, Brand Owners and Recyclers) units have only applied on the EPR portal for obtaining the registration under Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. The Regional Officers of HPSPCB were directed to ensure that all such units are registered on the EPR portal as per norms at the earliest to ensure adherence to norms. Directions have also been issued to these units to this effect.
Therefore, Directions have been issued by Chairman, H.P. State Pollution Control Board on 4th February, 2023 that all these Producers, Importers & Brand-Owners (PIBOs) and Plastic Waste Processors (PWPs) to submit the application with complete details for Registration on EPR Portal. All PIBOs w.r.t their EPR targets assigned under EPR registration shall meet the targets by ensuring that their plastic packaging waste is collected, segregated and transported to Plastic Waste Processors by having agreement with Plastic Waste Processors for disposal and purchase of certificates. In case the plastic is being sent to other State recyclers, the PIBOs are required to provide details w.r.t collection infrastructure and transportation details to SPCB. The PIBOs shall file annual returns on the plastic packaging waste collected and processed towards fulfilling obligations under Extended Producer Responsibility with the Central Pollution Control Board or concerned State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee as per pro forma prescribed by Central Pollution Control Board by the 30th June of the financial year. All PWPs shall ensure that the total quantity of plastic waste processed by plastic waste processors and attributed to Producers, Importers & Brand-Owners, on an annual basis, shall be made available on the centralized portal developed by Central Pollution Control Board as also on the website of PWPs.
