FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT PLASTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT

Pollution control consultant in guwahati.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT PLASTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT

1. How waste is managed in Assam?

JTOs and Supervisors with a fleet of hand carters and sweepers. There are two functional Transfer Stations in Guwahati. One at RGB Road near Nursery, Ganeshguri and the other near GMCH, Bhangagarh. Approximately, 85-90 % waste is being transported daily to Boragaon. 

2. What is plastic waste management?

The initiative aims to establish environment-friendly plastic waste disposal solutions.

3. Why plastic waste is a problem?

Plastic pollution can alter habitats and natural processes, reducing ecosystems' ability to adapt to climate change, directly affecting millions of people's livelihoods, food production capabilities and social well-being.

4. How many microns of plastic carry bags sheets are allowed to use?

Increase minimum thickness of plastic carry bags from 40 to 50 microns and stipulate minimum thickness of 50 micron for plastic sheets 

5. What is the main cause of plastic mismanagement?

Most plastic pollution comes from inadequate collection and disposal of larger plastic debris known as macro plastics

6. What are the different types of Plastics and its code?

The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) introduced its resin identification coding system in 1988 at the urging of recyclers around the country.

The seven types of plastic include:

• Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE or PET)
• High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) figure: Types of Plastic
• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
• Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE)
• Polypropylene (PP)
• Polystyrene or Styrofoam (PS)
• Miscellaneous plastics (includes: polycarbonate, polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fiberglass, and nylon)

7. What are the steps taken by Govt to reduce plastic waste?

• Increased Registration and Coverage under EPR for Plastic Packaging.
• Support for MSMEs Transitioning to Eco-Alternatives.
• India Plastic Challenge Hackathon 2021 and National Expo on Eco-Alternatives.
• State Initiatives in Promotion of Eco-Alternatives to Banned Single-Use Plastic Items.
• Enforcement of Ban on Identified Single-Use Plastic Items

8. Who is responsible for plastic pollution?

There are three parties that bear this responsibility. Governments that can make and enforce rules, companies that produce or use plastics, and consumers. Each party has its own responsibility.

9. Alarming growth of 'Plastic Waste' in Assam?

As per the study of ENVIRON, multi-layered and laminated ‘thermoplastics’ along with the ‘thermo-set plastics’ are non-recyclable whereas all the
single component thermoplastics like PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate), HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene), LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene),
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), PP (Polypropylene), PS (Polystyrene) etc. are recyclable.
Study also revealed that among the total generated plastic waste, 60% plastics are recyclable whereas 40% are non-recyclable as per the present
scenario. Non-recyclable plastics are major responsible for the PLASTIC POLLUTION.

10. What are the plastic waste management rules?

Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016

Increase minimum thickness of plastic carry bags from 40 to 50 microns and stipulate minimum thickness of 50 micron for plastic sheets also to facilitate collection and recycle of plastic waste

Expand the jurisdiction of applicability from the municipal area to rural areas, because plastic has reached rural areas also

To bring in the responsibilities of producers and generators, both in plastic waste management system and to introduce collect back system of plastic waste by the producers/brand owners, as per extended producer’s responsibility

To introduce collection of plastic waste management fee through pre-registration of the producers, importers of plastic carry bags/multi-layered packaging and vendors selling the same for establishing the waste management system

To promote use of plastic waste for road construction as per Indian Road Congress guidelines or energy recovery, or waste to oil etc. for gainful utilization of waste and also address the waste disposal issue; to entrust more responsibility on waste generators, namely payment of user charge as prescribed by local authority, collection and handing over of waste by the institutional generator, event organizers.

An eco-friendly product, which is a complete substitute of the plastic in all uses, has not been found till date. In the absence of a suitable alternative, it is impractical and undesirable to impose a blanket ban on the use of plastic all over the country. The real challenge is to improve plastic waste management systems.

What's new in Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016?

Rural areas have been brought in ambit of these Rules since plastic has reached to rural areas also. Responsibility for implementation of the rules is given to Gram Panchayat.

First time, responsibility of waste generators is being introduced. Individual and bulk generators like offices, commercial establishments, industries are to segregate the plastic waste at source, handover segregated waste, pay user fee as per bye-laws of the local bodies.

Plastic products are left littered after the public events (marriage functions, religious gatherings, public meetings etc.) held in open spaces. First time, persons organising such events have been made responsible for management of waste generated from these events.

Use of plastic sheet for packaging, wrapping the commodity except those plastic sheet’s thickness, which will impair the functionality of the product are brought under the ambit of these rules. A large number of commodities are being packed/wrapped in to plastic sheets and thereafter such sheets are left for littered. Provisions have been introduced to ensure their collection and channelization to authorised recycling facilities.

Extended Producer Responsibility: Earlier, EPR was left to the discretion of the local bodies. First time, the producers (i.e persons engaged in manufacture, or import of carry bags, multi-layered packaging and sheets or like and the persons using these for packaging or wrapping their products) and brand owners have been made responsible for collecting waste generated from their products. They have to approach local bodies for formulation of plan/system for the plastic waste management within the prescribed timeframe.

State Pollution Control Board (SPCBs) will not grant/renew registration of plastic bags, or multi-layered packaging unless the producer proposes the action plan endorsed by the concerned State Development Department.

Producers to keep a record of their vendors to whom they have supplied raw materials for manufacturing carry bags, plastic sheets, and multi-layered packaging. This is to curb manufacturing of these products in unorganised sector.

The entry points of plastic bags/plastic sheets/multi-layered packaging in to commodity supply chain are primarily the retailers and street vendors. They have been assigned the responsibility of not to provide the commodities in plastic bags/plastic sheets/multi-layered packaging which do not conform to these rules. Otherwise, they will have to pay the fine.

Plastic carry bag will be available only with shopkeepers/street vendors pre-registered with local bodies on payment of certain registration fee. The amount collected as registration fee by local bodies is to be used for waste management.

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has been mandated to formulate the guidelines for thermoset plastic (plastic difficult to recycle). In the earlier Rules, there was no specific provision for such type of plastic.

Manufacturing and use of non-recyclable multi-layered plastic to be phased in two years.

Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2018

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2018 on March 27, 2018.

The amended Rules lay down that the phasing out of Multilayered Plastic (MLP) is now applicable to MLP, which are "non-recyclable, or non-energy recoverable, or with no alternate use."

The amended Rules also prescribe a central registration system for the registration of the producer/importer/brand owner. The Rules also lay down that any mechanism for the registration should be automated and should take into account ease of doing business for producers, recyclers and manufacturers. The centralised registration system will be evolved by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for the registration of the producer/importer/brand owner. While a national registry has been prescribed for producers with presence in more than two states, a state-level registration has been prescribed for smaller producers/brand owners operating within one or two states.

In addition, Rule 15 of the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2018 on "explicit pricing of carry bags" has been omitted.

Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021

Keeping in view the adverse impacts of littered plastic on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, has notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021 on August 12, 2021.

The rules prohibits identified single use plastic items which have low utility and high littering potential by 2022.  

The manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of following single-use plastic, including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene, commodities shall be prohibited with effect from the 1st July, 2022:-

Ear buds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene [Thermocol] for decoration;

Plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, and cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners less than 100 micron, stirrers.

In order to stop littering due to light weight plastic carry bags, with effect from 30th September, 2021, the thickness of plastic carry bags has been increased from fifty microns to seventy five microns and to one hundred and twenty microns with effect from the 31st December, 2022. This will also allow reuse of plastic carry due to increase in thickness.

The plastic packaging waste, which is not covered under the phase out of identified single use plastic items, shall be collected and managed in an environmentally sustainable way through the Extended Producer Responsibility of the Producer, importer and Brand owner (PIBO), as per Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. For effective implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility the Guidelines for Extended Producer Responsibility being brought out have been given legal force through Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021.

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