Page 45 - Plastics News - April 2026
P. 45
ENVIRONMENT NEWS
MoEFCC Guidelines and Implementation Time- structure while strengthening the domestic cir-
line cular economy. In addition, the increased use of
recycled plastics will help reduce plastic waste
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate leakage into the environment and lower depend-
Change (MoEFCC) issued detailed guidelines ence on virgin plastic production.
outlining the phased implementation of recycled
content requirements. Under the policy, 30% re- Investments in Food-Grade r-PET Recycling
cycled PET (r-PET) must be used in rigid plas- Facilities
tic packaging during FY 2025–26, from April 1,
2026, the requirement will increase to 40% recy- The policy builds upon the Plastic Waste Man-
cled content in food-grade PET packaging. agement Rules, 2016, which already mandate
the gradual increase of recycled content in rigid
The ministry has also allowed brands and pro- plastic packaging. Under the rules, 30% recycled
ducers to carry forward any shortfall in meeting content is required from 2025–26 The require-
the 30% r-PET target for FY 2025–26 for up to ment will increase by 10% annually and the tar-
three consecutive years. However, companies get will reach 60% recycled content by 2028–29.
must achieve at least one-third of the carry-for-
ward target each year to remain compliant. This To support this transition, 15–18 food-grade r-
flexible mechanism is designed to help industry PET recycling facilities have been established
players gradually adapt to the new requirements across India. These plants together provide
while expanding recycling capacity. around 3 lakh metric tons of annual recycling
capacity, representing investments of approxi-
Industry Welcomes Circular Economy Push mately `9,000–10,000 crore. Many of these fa-
cilities have adopted state-of-the-art recycling
Industry stakeholders have broadly welcomed technologies and operate according to stand-
the government’s move, viewing it as a step ards approved by the European Food Safety
toward strengthening India’s circular packag- Authority (EFSA) and the US Food and Drug Ad-
ing economy. “We wholeheartedly welcome the ministration (FDA).
government’s progressive step, which reinforc-
es confidence in the vision of building a circu- Advancing India’s Circular Economy Vision
lar economy,” Jain said. He added that with the
currently authorized recycling capacities, India is The new recycled content mandate is expected
well positioned to meet up to 50% of the PET to play a crucial role in advancing India’s circular
requirement for bottling applications using re- economy goals. By promoting large-scale use of
cycled material. The mandate is also expected recycled materials in packaging, the policy en-
to stabilize supply chains, particularly at a time courages resource efficiency, sustainable manu-
when global disruptions have affected the avail- facturing, and reduced plastic pollution. As re-
ability and pricing of virgin PET. ported by biznewsdesk.com, as the regulations
take effect over the coming years, India’s pack-
Boost for Recycling Ecosystem and Plastic aging industry will likely see increased invest-
Waste Reduction ments in recycling technology, supply chain im-
provements, and greater collaboration between
Experts believe the new policy will significantly policymakers and industry stakeholders to build
accelerate the adoption of recycled PET across a more sustainable plastics ecosystem.
the food and beverage industry. As demand for
high-quality recycled materials grows, it will en- Source - https://chemindigest.com
courage further investment in recycling infra-
April 2026 PLASTICS NEWS 47
