Page 31 - Plastics News May 2026

ENVIRONMENT NEWS

on sustainability, the recycling industry is ex- reform, but about recognising recycling as a key
pected to play a central role in the country’s de-
pillar of India’s circular economy ambitions.
velopment trajectory. The push for a dedicated
ministry is therefore not just about governance Source - https://economictimes.indiatimes.com

COMMON EPR PORTAL TO ANCHOR INDIA’S RECYCLING PUSH AS INDUSTRY,
NITI AAYOG CALL FOR STRONGER IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK

PCB’s move toward a common portal cling outcomes. Under the E-Waste Manage-
for seven sectors is a positive step to ment Rules, 2022, the regime has shifted from a
Cresolve industry concerns, says CSE collection-based approach to a recycling-based

system, covering over 100 categories of elec-
The Union environment ministry is set to roll out tronic equipment.
a common Extended Producer Responsibility
(EPR) portal, a move aimed at streamlining com- The proposed common portal is also expected
pliance, improving traceability and scaling India’s to significantly expand participation, with esti-
recycling ecosystem, even as industry and poli- mates suggesting it could onboard up to 50 lakh
cymakers flagged persistent gaps in implemen- (5 million) users across the solid waste manage-
tation and institutional coordination. ment ecosystem, marking a major step in digitis-
ing compliance and market mechanisms.
The upcoming unified portal, under develop-
ment by the Union Ministry of Environment, For-
est and Climate Change (MoEFCC), is expected
to integrate multiple waste streams and address
operational bottlenecks identified through ex-
tensive stakeholder consultations, an official
said, at a conference on May 4, 2026. The plat-
form is being designed to be more user-friendly
and responsive to challenges faced by produc-
ers, recyclers and regulators.

The announcement comes as India deepens its
reliance on EPR as a central policy tool to tran-
sition from a linear to a circular economy. Ac- Shobhit Srivastava, programme manager (indus-
cording to Bharat Sharma, member secretary at trial pollution), Centre for Science and Environ-
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the EPR ment (CSE), says the CPCB’s move toward a
framework now spans plastics, e-waste, batter- common portal for seven sectors is a positive
ies and tyres, with digital certification systems step to resolve industry concerns. The incorpo-
improving transparency and tracking of recy- ration of GST and EPR integration is a welcome

May 2026 PLASTICS NEWS 33