Reducing plastic pollution

Reducing plastic pollution

News:

1. The Plastic Waste Management Rules of 2016 are the sharpest prongs in India’s legal arsenal against plastic.

Important facts:

2. Significant components of the rules are given below:

a. Strengthen the concept of ‘extended producer’s responsibility’ whereby plastics manufacturers and retail establishments that use plastic are legally bound to introduce a system of collecting back plastic waste.

b. The rules direct that a plastic waste management fee be collected through pre-registration of the producers, importers of plastic bags, for establishing a waste management system.

c. The Rules also mandate an increase in the thickness of carry bags and plastic sheets form 40 to 50 micron.

d. The Rules envisage promoting the use of plastic waste for road construction, or energy recovery, or waste to oil, etc.,

e. Local bodies and gram panchayats are responsible for implementing and coordinating a waste management system.

f. This amendment also provides for a centralised registration system.

g. The Rules also lay down that any mechanism for registration should be automated and should take into account ease of doing business for producers, recyclers and manufacturers.

h. The centralised registration system will be evolved by the Central Pollution Control Board for the registration of the producer/importer/brand owner.

Way ahead:

• Country has to move towards a regime where plastic waste is treated and recycled rather than engage in rhetoric about the banning the product.