Page 37 - Plastics News June 2026
P. 37
ENVIRONMENT NEWS
fective implementation of DRS, strengthening tainable. A DRS operator must provide clarity on
the collection and sorting process of waste is of recovering of operational costs through produc-
utmost importance. er fees, handling charges, retained deposits, or
government support on treatment of unclaimed
In the recent times, consumer awareness around deposits, as brand owners pre-fund the deposit
waste, recycling and circularity has grown rap- pool and bear the system costs.
idly in the urban cities due to increasing envi-
ronmental concerns, global exposure to sustain- Globally, as a standard practice, these deposits
able alternatives and responsible consumption are often retained within the system or returned
amongst children and the youth. Against this to producers. With limited visibility on the com-
backdrop, DRS appears attractive as it prom- plete value chain, the industry may perceive DRS
ises traceable, high-volume collection of post- as an additional financial burden rather than a
consumer waste and improved recycling perfor- circular enabler.
mance.
In the Indian context, the success of new initia-
Assessing India’s readiness for DRS tives is often contingent on the level of conveni-
ence they offer to consumers. Any friction in the
While recycling is critical to India’s journey to return process of packaging and deposits may
circularity, it is imperative to understand that discourage consumers from making additional
in India, the waste collection, segregation and efforts to return packaging or create a negative
management are dependent heavily on informal perception of the brands, rather than attributing
workforce who work on the frontlines and col- such frictions to the regulatory framework. Many
lect significant volumes of waste back to the for- people in India end up reusing the structured
mal supply chain for recycling and reuse. Hence, packaging at home for storage purposes which
it becomes all the more critical that any DRS can also lead to delays in bringing the waste
model must complement and strengthen the ex- back to the supply chain.
isting system.
State specific DRS regulations may create chal-
While India is working progressively towards lenges for PIBOs like different stock keeping
DRS, it is still in nascent stages in the states which units (SKUs) with DRS markings, QR code, pre-
are enforcing DRS in 2026. There is a need to funding of deposits, interstate travel of pack-
develop enabling infrastructure such as reverse ages by consumers, risk of double counting with
vending machines, digital tracking systems, cen- EPR, unfair payment of deposits for consumers
tralized sorting centres and scaling such sys- travelling from DRS states to non-DRS states,
tems would require substantial investments in amongst others, along with central govern-
information technology (IT) systems, transport, ment regulations of EPR. The end goal of any
manpower and would therefore evolve progres- proposed scheme must be to deliver meaning-
sively over time.
ful recycling outcomes and not create ambigu-
For any deposit scheme to deliver results, its fi- ity through overlapping regulatory requirements
nancial foundations need to be robust and sus- for PIBOs and consumers.
June 2026 PLASTICS NEWS 39
