Page 50 - Plastics News January 2023

FEATURE

Year End Review: Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change

he year 2022 saw the launch of stakeholder ministry in other CE Ac- informal sector. Participation of indus-
TMission LiFE by Prime Minister tion Plans. try is of critical importance to make
Shri Narendra Modi, a flagship pro- Regulations on market based Ex- the Waste-to-Wealth Mission a suc-
gramme to promote sustainable life- tended Producer Responsibility (EPR) cess. This will result in moving away
style across the globe. The central principle have been notified for four from mindless consumption to mind-
elements of Mission LiFE i.e., sustain- categories of wastes i.e. plastic pack- ful utilisation and will help achieve the
able lifestyle and sustainable patterns aging waste, battery waste, e-waste vision of Mission LiFE - Lifestyle for
of consumption to address climate and waste tyre. Environment given by Prime Minister
change were mentioned in the cover Shri Narendra Modi.
decision of Sharm El Sheikh Imple- • ‘‘Extended Producer Respon- Ban on identified Single Use Plastics
mentation Plan of COP 27. Cheetah sibility (EPR) for Waste Tyre, 2022’’ from 1 July 2022 and Plastic Waste
reintroduction in India by the Prime on 21.07.2022. Management
Minister was another important • “Guidelines on EPR for Plastic
milestone in the global conserva- Packaging on 16.02.2022. India has taken resolute steps to re-
tion efforts of the species. The major flect its commitment to eliminate
achievements during the year 2022 of • ‘’Battery Waste Management single use plastics that are not bio-
Plastic Industry are as follows: - Rules, 2022’’ on 22.08.2022. degradable and have an adverse im-
• ‘’E-Waste (Management) Rules, pact on environment. The strategy
Promoting Circular Economy - Waste- adopted by the Government to tackle
to-Wealth 2022’’ on 02.11.2022. unmanaged and littered plastic waste

Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, In EPR for Plastic Packaging, targets has two pillars – ban on single use
in his address to the nation on the oc- for minimum recycling, minimum use plastic items which have high littering
casion of 75th Independence Day on of recycled content and use of rigid potential and low utility, and imple-
15.08.2021, highlighted India’s action plastic packaging in identified sizes mentation of extended producer re-
on ‘Mission Circular Economy’. NITI have been mandated. In rules incor- sponsibility on plastic packaging.
Aayog constituted 11 Committees porating EPR principle that have been The country has taken a defining step
for development of circular economy notified/amended this year, different to eliminate single use plastics. A ban
(CE) action plans for different catego- targets of minimum recycling, mini- has been imposed on identified single
ries of wastes. mum recovery percentage and mini-
mum use of recycled content have use plastic items from 1st July 2022.
Circular Economy Action Plans for been given lead times to start with. The ban was notified on 12th August
10 waste categories (Lithium-ion bat- The optimum level will be reached 2021.
teries; E-waste; Toxic and hazardous over a period of time. This has been Ear buds with plastic sticks, plastic
industrial waste; Scrap metal (ferrous done to provide time to the industry sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy
and non-ferrous); Tyre and Rubber; as well as recyclers for the develop- sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene
End of Life Vehicles; Gypsum, Used ment of systems and recycling infra- (Thermocol) for decoration; Plates,
Oil, Solar Panels and Municipal Solid structure. Regulations to bring in EPR cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks,
Waste have been finalized, and are for end-of-life vehicles is under devel- spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping
under implementation. Respective opment. or packing films around sweet boxes,
Nodal Ministries are coordinating on invitation cards, and cigarette pack-
progress of implementation of these The Waste-to-Wealth Mission/ Mis- ets, plastic or PVC banners less than
action plans. Ministry of Environment, sion Circular Economy is bound to 100 microns, stirrers. Thickness of
Forest and Climate Change is the create new business models as well Plastic carry bags increased to 75 mi-
Nodal Ministry for Circular Economy as new employment opportunities. crons (30.9.2021) and to 120 microns
Action Plan for Tyre and Rubber and This will also result in integration of

50 PLASTICS NEWS January 2023