Page 32 - Plastics News May 2026
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ENVIRONMENT NEWS
move that aligns with CSE’s recommendations. yavrat Bhati, programme head at NITI Aayog,
described the circular economy as a “strategic
“However, the portal’s success hinges on trans- lever” for resource efficiency and industrial com-
parency. It must provide public access so that
researchers and think tanks can independently petitiveness, stressing the importance of institu-
assess progress and identify implementation tionalising the sector.
challenges,” he adds.
He highlighted the need for stable demand for
Industry Seeks Dedicated Recycling Frame- recycled materials, better enforcement and
work stronger integration of the informal sector — a
recurring challenge across waste streams. NITI
While welcoming policy progress, the Material
Recycling Association of India (MRAI) called for a Aayog has been working on sector-specific
dedicated national framework or nodal authority strategies, including end-of-life vehicles, waste
to address structural inefficiencies in the sector. tyres and e-waste, to improve coordination and
implementation.
“India has developed some of the most forward-
looking policies in the recycling space… however, From Policy To Implementation
the real challenge lies in ensuring consistent and
effective implementation on the ground,” said Stakeholders broadly agreed that while India’s
Sanjay Mehta, president of MRAI. policy architecture on recycling is robust, the
next phase must focus on execution, enforce-
He pointed to issues such as frequent adminis- ment and ecosystem development.
trative transfers, fragmented governance across
ministries and inconsistent regulatory interpreta- Officials emphasised that beyond compliance,
tion as key barriers to effective execution. The the sector must move towards efficient and val-
industry body argued that a centralised institu- ue-driven recycling, including recovery of criti-
tional mechanism could improve coordination, cal materials and deeper integration of informal
accelerate decision-making and ensure continu-
ity in policy implementation. waste collectors into formal systems.
MRAI also cautioned against a uniform approach Challenges remain in verification systems, in-
to EPR across materials, noting that high-value frastructure expansion and ensuring consistent
recycling segmentssuch as non-ferrous metals regulatory signals. However, the proposed com-
may require more tailored regulatory frame- mon EPR portal is seen as a key step towards
works to avoid disrupting efficient market-driven addressing fragmentation and improving ac-
systems. countability across the recycling value chain.
NITI Aayog Calls For Institutionalisation Source - https://www.downtoearth.org.in
Echoing the need for stronger systems, Pri-
34 PLASTICS NEWS May 2026
