Plastic makers told to pick up their waste, dispose

Hyderabad: The plastic manufacturers would now have to register and also establish a system for collecting the plastic waste generated due to their products as the Telangana government has asked the producers in all the urban local bodies to register with the concerned municipality immediately.

This step comes after the amendments in Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2006, which was notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the orders of National Green Tribunal which wanted governments to adopt coercive measures to ensure producers obtain registration.

According to the officials, under Rule 9(1) of the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, the producers, within a period of six months from the date of publication of rules, should work out modalities for the waste collection system based on Extended Producers Responsibility and involving State urban development wings.

"As per the Rule 9 (2) of the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, primary responsibility for collection of used multi-layered plastic sachet or pouches or packaging is of the producers, importers and brand owners who introduce the products in the market. They need to establish a system for collecting back the plastic waste generated due to their products," said a senior official in the Directorate of Municipal Administration. According to the authorities, Telangana's plastic producing industry has over 7,000 units.

The official said that as per the Rule 12(1), the State Pollution Control Board would be the authority for enforcement of the provisions of these rules relating to registration, manufacture of plastic products and multi-layered packaging, processing and disposal of plastic wastes. With this, no one can manufacture carry bags or recycle plastic bags or multi-layered packaging unless the person obtains a registration from the State pollution control board prior to the commencement of the production, the official said.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for extended producer responsibility of producers, importers and brand owners for streamlining the registration and ensuring effective implementation. The CDMA, N Satyanarayana, directed the municipal commissioners of all the municipalities and corporations to implement the SOPs issued by the CPCB for effective plastic waste management.