Page 43 - Plastics News - April 2026
P. 43
ENVIRONMENT NEWS
sponsibility (EPR) rules, largely because only a APR Bharat, said, “With the mandate requiring
limited number of facilities held permanent food- a minimum 40% recycled content coming into
grade approvals. With this regulatory bottleneck force, the timing of long-term authorisations
now easing, he believes concerns about the in- for these 17 r-PET facilities is significant. These
dustry’s preparedness are likely to diminish. plants are already catering to industry needs
and are now better positioned to meet the
On the demand front, he observed that recycled growing demand. Despite ongoing geopolitical
PET is currently witnessing robust offtake, driv- uncertainties globally and rising input costs, In-
en by elevated virgin polymer prices and tight dia’s r-PET recycling ecosystem remains strong
supply conditions. However, he characterised and well-placed to support the domestic pack-
this as a cyclical market dynamic rather than a aging and bottling sectors. In fact, the industry
lasting structural shift. The industry, he added, can comfortably cater to nearly 45–50% of the
continues to seek quicker finalisation of pend- PET demand through recycled material, reduc-
ing draft policy notifications to provide greater ing reliance on virgin resin and strengthening cir-
long-term certainty, encourage investment, and cularity.”
sustain momentum in India’s transition towards
circular packaging. Source - https://www.wasterecyclingmag.com
Adding to this, Goutham Jain, Director General,
NEW WASTE RULES FROM APRIL 1: FOUR-WAY SEGREGATION
MANDATORY, STRICT PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS
he Ministry of Environment, Forest and Cli- dry waste including plastic, paper and metal will
mate Change has notified the Solid Waste be routed to material recovery facilities for recy-
TManagement (SWM) Rules, 2026, replac- cling. Sanitary and hazardous household waste
ing the 2016 framework, with effect from April 1, will require separate handling through author-
2026. Issued under the Environment (Protection) ised channels. The rules also tighten account-
Act, 1986, the revised rules aim to strengthen ability for bulk waste generators, mandating on-
waste handling through the principles of circular site processing where feasible and introducing
economy and extended producer responsibility, an Extended Bulk Waste Generator Responsibil-
while introducing stricter compliance measures, ity mechanism.
including environmental compensation based on
the ‘polluter pays’ principle. The revamped rules emphasise digital govern-
ance, with the Central Pollution Control Board
A key highlight of the new framework is the set to roll out a centralised online portal to track
mandatory four-stream segregation of waste the entire waste lifecycle, from generation to
at source—wet, dry, sanitary and special care disposal. The system will also streamline reg-
waste. While wet waste such as food and organic istrations, reporting and audits of waste facili-
matter must be composted or processed locally, ties. Additionally, provisions have been made for
April 2026 PLASTICS NEWS 45
