CHAPTER 1: Introduction to Plastic Waste Management in India & Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

The legal foundation of plastic waste management in India is derived from the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, particularly Sections 6, 8 and 25, empowering the Central Government to frame rules for the management of hazardous substances and environmental protection. The Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016, notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) under S.O. 320 (E) dated 18 March 2016, replaced the earlier Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011. These were subsequently amended by:

• PWM (Amendment) Rules, 2018 (G.S.R. G.S.R. 285(E),  27 March 2018)
• PWM (Amendment) Rules, 2021 (G.S.R. 571 (E), 12 August 2021)
• PWM (Amendment) Rules, 2021 (G.S.R. 647 (E), 17 September 2021)
• PWM (Amendment) Rules, 2022 (G.S.R. 133 (E), 16 February 2022)
• PWM (Amendment) Rules, 2022 (G.S.R. 522 (E), 6 July 2022)
• PWM (Amendment) Rules, 2023  (G.S.R. 318(E), dated 27 April 2023)
• PWM (Amendment) Rules, 2022 (G.S.R. 807(E), dated 30 October 2023)
• PWM (Amendment) Rules, 2024 (G.S.R. 201(E), dated 14 March 2024)
• PWM (Amendment Rules, 2025 (G.S.R. 73(E), dated 23 January 2025)
• PWM (Amendment) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 237(E), dated 31 March 2026)

Background and Rationale

India generates more than 9.3 million tonnes of plastic waste annually. This is primarily driven by Rapid urbanisation, consumerism, and lack of segregation and has led to visible plastic pollution in terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

There is no authentic estimation available on total generation of plastic waste in the country, however, about 70% of the waste produced, is not properly treated. This is due to Indiscriminate littering, widespread unskilled recycling/reprocessing and the accessibility to structured waste management systems.

With an aim to solve this 9.3 Million Tonne problem, The PWM Rules, 2016 marked a paradigm shift—from waste disposal by local bodies alone to shared responsibility among producers, importers, brand owners, consumers, and recyclers.

 Evolution of Rules

The first idea of Plastic waste management regulation took form of the Recycled Plastics Manufacture & Usage Rules in the year 1999 and since then has evolved to the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 that form the base for all subsequent amendments and the compliance requirements we know today.

A summary of this evolution is given in the table below:

Year	Legal Instrument	Key Milestones
1999	Recycled Plastics Manufacture & Usage Rules	First control on recycled carry bags and thickness norms
2011	Plastic Waste (Management & Handling) Rules	Introduced Local Body responsibility; inclusion of street vendors
2016	PWM Rules	Introduced EPR; extended applicability to producers, importers, brand owners
2018	Amendment	Added “explicit pricing” for carry bags (later withdrawn); clarity on local bodies; registration  made mandatory
2021	Amendment	Defined Single-Use Plastics; expanded scope of Rule 4; phased ban notifications on Single use plastics.
2022	Amendment	Introduced comprehensive EPR Framework (Schedule II), 4 categories of packaging
2023	Amendment	Clarified reuse targets, recycled content, portal-based compliance
2024	Amendment	Expanded stakeholder obligations, Permitted manufacture of compostable / Biodegradable plastics.
2025	Amendment	Mandate of QR based Marking and Traceability.
2026	Amendment	Mandates Minimum Recycled Content and Reuse obligation and carry forward of unmet Urep/Reuse targets.

 This Document factors in all amendments upto 31^st March 2026. Specific introduction of conditions and compliance requiring special attention are referenced to the amendment date which can be traced to the respective amendment notification from the above paragraphs.

 Objectives of the PWM Rules

• To adapt ‘Polluters pay’ principle (Extended Producers Responsibility) for sustainable waste management in the country;
• To emphasize the minimization of plastic waste and improve resource recovery;
• Provide a regulatory framework for management of plastic waste generated in the country and
• To phase out the manufacturing, sale and distribution of single-use plastics.

Scope and Applicability (Rule 2)

The Rules apply to every:

• waste generator,
• local body,
• manufacturer and producers,
• importer,
• brand owner and
• Plastic Waste Processor (PWP)

involved in the use, distribution, sale, or recycling of plastic within India.

 Exceptions:

1.

Rule Number	Rule	Exemption		Exception to Exemption
Rule 4	Conditions for Manufacture of Plastic Packaging waste	EOU & Units in SEZ	EOUs and SEZ involved in the manufacture of gutkha, tobacco and pan masala and also to any surplus or rejects, left over products and the like.
Rule 9(1)	collection of plastic waste	EOU & Units in SEZ	Pre-consumer plastic packaging
		Exporters of plastic packaging
		Plastic packaging used for packaging export goods.

2.

Rule 4 does not apply to export-oriented units or units in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) notified by the Central Government, when manufacturing products against export orders. This exemption excludes units packaging gutkha, tobacco, or pan masala, as well as any surplus, rejects, or leftover products.

Further, Rule 9(1) on Extended Producer Responsibilities will be applicable to the EOUs, Units in SEZ and other units manufacturing plastic packaging waste for export or to be used in the packaging of goods to be exported only to the extent of Pre-consumer Plastic packaging waste generated by them.

This implies that these units will be exempted from having to off-set post-consumer plastic packaging waste generated but will however be required to obtain a registration.

This is to ensure that all the Plastic packaging waste generated in India is properly managed in India as they would be sub-judice to the Rules being applicable only in India.

Institutional Framework

The implementation of the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules in India rests upon a multi-tier institutional framework that integrates policymaking, regulatory oversight, and operational execution across national, state, and local levels.

Every authority in this framework functions within the ambit of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The key responsibilities of these institutions being - policy formulation, monitoring, enforcement, and reporting.

At the apex lies the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), which formulates policies, issues notifications, and periodically amends the PWM Rules. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) acts as the technical and supervisory arm, developing guidelines, maintaining the national registration portal, and consolidating compliance data from State and Union-Territory authorities.

The State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) execute implementation at the ground level, granting registrations, reviewing annual returns, and conducting inspections.

The Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and municipal corporations form the final enforcement tier, responsible for door-to-door waste collection, segregation, and ensuring channelisation of plastic waste to registered recyclers or processors. This layered framework not only ensures accountability but also promotes coordination among the various stakeholders involved in India’s plastic waste governance system.

With the PWM rules, 2016 – the Producers, Importers, Manufacturers and Brand owners as a group also form the last executive leg of this multi-tier structure and though they are governed by the institutional framework to ensure that the plastic packaging waste is appropriately managed at the source.

Institution	Role under PWM Rules
MoEFCC	Policy formulation, notification of rules, amendments, and oversight.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)	National-level monitoring, registration of producers/importers/brand owners (PIBOs) under Rule 13, development of SOPs, environmental compensation framework, and EPR-portal management.
State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs)	State-level registration, enforcement of local compliance, data collection, inspection of units, and EC recovery under CPCB’s guidance.
Local Bodies (Municipalities/ULBs)	Primary collection, segregation, and channelisation of plastic waste; execution of bye-laws under Rule 6.
Producers/Importers/Brand Owners (PIBOs)	Fulfilment of EPR targets, recycling, reuse, and end-of-life management (Rule 9 read with Schedule II).

 Core Concept of EPR (Rule 9)

EPR is defined as the responsibility of a producer for the environmentally sound management of the product until the end of its life.

Under the said framework, every Producer, Importer and Brand owners who introduce any plastic packaging in the market must also ensure collection and processing of plastic packaging equivalent to the quantity introduced into the market, as per annual target computation guidelines.

This compliance is monitored through the CPCB’s EPR Portal (launched in 2022).

Further, the PIBOs are required to maintain a detailed record of the persons engaged in supply of plastic used as raw materials to manufacture plastic packaging.

Any deviation and non-compliance of the responsibilities of compliance and reporting with the PWM rules, would attract varied levels of Environmental compensation (EC) as per the guidelines  issued by the Central Pollution Control Board.

To ensure compliance with Rule 9, the PIBOs have to meet various statutory requirements – The summary of the same is outlined below.

Key Requirement	Relevant Rule / Notification	Periodicity
Registration of PIBOs & PWPs	Rule 13 & 2022 Amendment	Before placing product on market
Computation of Recycling / Reuse / End-of-life Targets	Schedule II – Rule 7	Continuous
Annual Return Submission	Schedule II - Rule 10.6	By 30 June Next Financial Year
Marking and labeling	Rule 11
Environment Compensation in case of non-compliance	Schedule II Rule 9 read with CPCB EC Guidelines (6 July 2022)	As applicable

Summary

India’s approach to plastic waste management has evolved from a local-body-centric model to a shared, responsibility-based framework governed by the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and implemented through the PWM Rules 2016 and amendments.
At the heart of this system is Extended Producer Responsibility, a mechanism that integrates market accountability with environmental outcomes, making producers and brand owners financially responsible for pre and post-consumer phase of plastic packaging.