New Delhi, Aug 5 (UNI) The Union Government on Monday said the unmanaged and littered plastic waste including plastic packaging waste has adverse impacts on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
In response to an unstarred question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh said, “Considering the adverse effect of littered single use plastic items on terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems, the Ministry notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, on 12th August 2021.”
“These rules prohibit the use of specific single-use plastic items that have low utility and high potential for littering, effective from July 1, 2022,” he added.
“The Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, provides the statutory framework for plastic waste management in an environmentally sound manner throughout the country,” he mentioned.
“The Ministry has also notified the Guidelines on the Extended Producer Responsibility for plastic packaging vide Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2022, on 16th February, 2022,” Singh said.
“The total Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) of registered producers, importers and brand owners for plastic packaging is around 3 million tonnes for the year 2022 – 23, under EPR Guidelines,” he said.
“As on date, the EPR certificates generated by registered plastic waste processors after processing of plastic packaging waste including recycling is 6.8 million tonnes,” he added.
