Several cities in India have been turning the tide towards managing plastic waste and reducing pollution levels. Cities such as Indore and Mysuru are recognised as leaders within waste management, with initiatives including robust waste segregation, recycling plants, and door-to-door collection. India has contributed to being one of the world’s largest plastic pollution contributors, with an estimate of around 20%.
India produced almost 9.3 million tonnes of plastic waste on an annual basis, with a significant portion being attributed to inadequate waste management systems. However, the paradigm shift has resulted in strategies to manage plastic waste. By incorporating EPR plastic compliance and streamlining the registration of EPR, urban areas have been transforming the discarding of plastics to obtain valuable resources.
Under the Plastic Waste Management Rules in India, EPR mandated that the Producers, Importers and Brand Owners (PIBOs) are primarily responsible for processing and collecting the plastic with the introduction into the marketplace. This helps in the promotion of reuse, recycling, and reduction with the reliance on virgin plastic, and makes the cities become more sustainable and cleaner.
EPR Plastic Compliance Driving Change
EPR plastic compliance has further improved waste collection and segregation. Cities such as Bengaluru, Pune, and Indore have generated a surge to promote organised efforts required for support by producer-led initiatives. These programs help in building collaboration with the local bodies that are urban-based and waste picker collective initiatives, which can further create a robust infrastructure in the recycling and recovery. For instance, India has partnered with Indore, one of the largest cities, to build EPR-registered companies and set up Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), which process almost thousands of tonnes of plastic every month. These facilities reduce landfills and produce recycled plastic required for road construction, furniture manufacturing, and packaging.
EPR registration: Enabling Accountability
EPR registration ensures that PIBOs become accountable for generating end-of-life management of the plastic products. With the help of centralised EPR portals enforced by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), entities are required to declare the use of plastic footprint and present the detailed plans of waste management. The digital system helps in enhancing transparency and traceability, which can regulate the targets of recycling. It also encourages innovation within the circular economy space, which can help build EPR compliance with various initiatives.
Apart from the environmental benefits, the EPR system can also foster an economic value and generate a circular approach, which can transform the use of EPR plastic waste into resources and form alignment with economic growth. By building EPR plastic compliance and streamlining the registration, India can build a sustainable future to promote a circular economy.
