Context:
India, like many large economies, grapples with a significant plastic waste issue. A 2020-21 report from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) indicates that the country generates four million tonnes of plastic waste annually. Unfortunately, only about 25% of this waste is recycled or treated, with the remainder ending up in landfills or being disposed of unsustainably.
Relevance:
- GS2: Government Policies & Interventions
- GS3: Environmental Pollution & Degradation
Mains Question:
Discuss the procedure behind the functioning of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules under the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016. How successful have EPR rules proved to be and what can be done to enhance their effectiveness? (15 Marks, 250 Words).
Relevant Statistics:
- According to UN data, over 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced globally each year, with half intended for single use. Less than 10% of this plastic is recycled.
- An estimated 19-23 million tonnes of plastic end up in lakes, rivers, and oceans annually.
- Worldwide, one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute, and up to five trillion plastic bags are used each year.
- Half of all produced plastic is designed for single-use, intended to be discarded after one use.
Objective of the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016:
- Increase Thickness of Plastic Bags: Raise the minimum thickness of plastic carry bags from 40 to 50 microns and establish a minimum thickness of 50 microns for plastic sheets to aid in collection and recycling.
- Expand Applicability: Extend the rules from municipal to rural areas, acknowledging that plastic waste has spread to rural regions.
- Assign Responsibilities: Incorporate the responsibilities of producers and generators in the plastic waste management system.
- Implement Collect Back System: Introduce a system for producers and brand owners to reclaim plastic waste under the extended producer responsibility framework.
- Promote Alternative Uses: Encourage using plastic waste for road construction per Indian Road Congress guidelines, or for energy recovery, waste-to-oil conversion, and other methods.
Working of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Rules:
- Since 2016, the Plastic Waste Management Rules have mandated that plastic users collect and recycle their waste. These Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules, initially voluntary, are now enforced through an online EPR trading platform.
- The EPR system involves packagers, importers, and major industrial users of plastic packaging, along with professional recyclers, registering with the CPCB. Recyclers, who have networks to gather plastic waste, recycle it and receive validated certificates for each tonne recycled.
- These certificates can be uploaded to a dedicated CPCB portal and purchased by plastic packaging companies that do not meet their annual recycling targets.
- In 2022-23, the CPCB estimated that certificates for nearly 3.7 million tonnes of recycled plastic were generated.
- However, approximately 600,000 of these certificates were fraudulent, and hackers reportedly stole several thousand certificates last year, selling them to companies.
- A criminal investigation is ongoing, and the true amount of the claimed 3.7 million tonnes genuinely recycled is unclear.
Actions Taken:
- In response, the CPCB has implemented two significant actions. First, it commissioned an audit of nearly 800 firms, representing almost a quarter of the 2,300 registered recyclers who had traded certificates.
- Second, it overhauled the security features on the EPR trading platform, although this has delayed the filing of returns for 2023-24 by several months.
Way Forward:
- The CPCB described these issues as “teething problems” with implementing a large-scale electronic system.
- While the audit is necessary, it should be a one-time initiative to maintain trust in the system without annual, lengthy investigations.
- Although the CPCB can impose heavy fines, the process is lengthy and fraught with legal challenges. A market-driven approach to addressing plastic waste has a significant but limited impact.
- More efforts are needed to reduce plastic production and promote sustainable alternatives.
Conclusion:
Addressing the root causes of plastic waste and improving recycling systems’ effectiveness are crucial for mitigating India’s plastic waste problem.
