The Role Of EPR In Sustainable Plastic Waste Management

Sustainable plastic waste management is a technique that prioritizes recycling, reuse, and the adoption of innovative solutions to transform plastic waste into a brand-new product. The ideology behind this is to promote its repeated use, manage production waste, implement greener business practices, and impede its harmful toxins from sinking into the environment.

The governments all across the globe has implemented and acknowledged EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) as an effective tool for holding producers, importers, and brand owners (PIBOs) accountable for their plastic products’ end-of-life impacts. It encourages eco-design and promotes partnership among various stakeholders to share best practices in plastic waste management.

Let’s delve further to explore the role of EPR in sustainable plastic waste management, the objectives of Plastic Waste EPR Registration, and the challenges that obstruct its effective implementation.

What is Extended Producer Responsibility?

Extended Producer responsibility is a concept based on the ‘polluter-pay’ principle, which means the one who pollutes is the one who pays for it. It is a proactive business response to environmental degradation and the escalating climate crisis. This multidimensional strategic approach encourages companies to design and manufacture more recyclable and sustainable products in the plastic production realm.

Plastic Waste EPR Registration falls under the jurisdiction of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and mandates PIBOs to register themselves on the CPCB’s online centralized portal to commence and continue operations.

Objective Behind Promoting Plastic Waste EPR Registration

EPR shifts the responsibility of the product’s end-of-life management to the producers. The major intention behind this is to establish the following kind of system:

• Shared Responsibility: EPR provides provisions for sharing physical, organizational, and financial responsibility for waste management between PIBOs and the government. This enhances the end-of-life collection of plastic waste and enables sound treatment of this waste through recycling and reuse.
• Use of Incentives: In certain cases, the government also provides financial assistance in the form of incentives to manufacturers to design low-impact and resource-efficient plastic products.
• Facilitate Change: The EPR initiative plays a crucial role in bringing positive impacts up and down the value chain and makes it an ideal tool for moving the linear economy towards a circular one. It creates a loop of plastic circularity where plastic, at the end of its life cycle, is brought back into the system by recycling. The policy stops the usage of virgin plastic and encourages adopting plastic that has already been in use multiple times.
• Collection Mechanism: The Extended Producer Responsibility mechanism has contributed to the introduction of an effective plastic collection system. The strategy mandates that companies selling plastic or using plastic as a packaging material to be fully liable for their product at the end of its lifecycle. They must collect, sort, and recycle these products in the same or specified quantity to the amount used or sold to Meet EPR Targets and Manage Plastic Waste Effectively.

How Does EPR Promote Sustainable Plastic Waste Management?

Plastic waste EPR registration is a strategic move to improve the reputation of a brand, mitigating the risks of plastic waste, and promoting an eco-friendly disposal system. The policy inculcates sustainable techniques in plastic waste management in the following ways:

• Promote Circularity: Because of EPR, many companies have moved away from the take-make-waste ideology and started adopting tools and methods to retrofit their products as greener and eco-friendly. Circular designing has paced up where plastic is used in such a way that promotes easy recycling, repurposing, and reuse.
• Promote Resource Efficiency: One of the most notable advantages of EPR is its ability to promote resource efficiency. The strategy hinders producers from brining more plastic into the ecosystem and encourages the reuse and recycling of plastics already in use. This way EPR leads to sustainable management of plastic waste.
• Catalyst for Innovation: Innovation is considered a vital component in spearheading sustainability by minimizing plastic consumption, reducing waste, and adopting technologies that enable better recycling rates and repurposing.
• Strengthen Consumer Participation: EPR encourages responsible behaviour from the consumer end. Once the plastic product reaches consumers, it becomes their responsibility to bring it to the collection centres, apart from other approaches like door-to-door plastic waste collection through tie-ups with local rag pickers or waste collecting agencies. However, consumer engagement in proper disposal is extremely important to increase the efficiency of the entire management system and pave the way for a sustainable economy. By Understanding Scope Of EPR For Plastic Packaging Waste, producers can fulfill their environmental obligations and implement sustainable design practices in their products.
• Protect Environment and Public Health: EPR acts as a catalyst in curbing the negative impacts of plastic in soil, air, or water. It safeguards the well-being of the environment and communities by promoting sustainable consumption and production.

Difference Between Mandatory EPR And Voluntary EPR

The EPR scheme operates on a mandatory or volunteer basis. India currently follows a mandatory EPR system that legally obligates PIBOs to properly manage and dispose of plastic at the end of their life cycle. Plastic waste EPR registration in India was first introduced in 2011 on voluntary terms and switched to a mandatory basis only in 2016. The major differences between these two mechanisms are as follows:

Mandatory EPR System

• PIBOs assume responsibility under a legal framework and involve financial contributions from all the companies that sell plastic products.
• Since all companies are bound to comply with EPR and pay almost an equal sum for making necessary adjustments, the system does not hamper competition.
• The system sets forward legal requirements where targets are supposed to be met within a stipulated timeline and includes an official monitoring system.
• A mandatory system has the potential to create a comprehensive collection system, a robust recycling infrastructure, and innovative technologies to ensure high-quality eco-friendly production without hampering the profits of the firm.

Voluntary EPR System

• Each company decides on its own whether they wish to comply with EPR norms or not and for how long.
• Only certain companies come forward to inculcate this system in their normal business operations, creating a certain level of competitive disadvantage over their peers.
• The target mechanism does not get monitored officially and reporting is often done through self-declarations and self-disclosures with no proper timeline framework.
• Voluntary EPR terms fail to bring a change at the grass-root level and the results are often limited in nature. It is not a reliable approach to promote sustainable plastic waste management. Several of the companies discontinue compliance with these norms due to increased costs or enhanced administrative burden.

What are the Challenges to EPR Implementation?

Once PIBOs obtain their Plastic Waste EPR Registration, they have to adhere to certain specified targets allotted by the CPCB and submit annual data submissions. CPCB releases separate targets for recycling, reuse, and usage of recycled products back into the business operations. To meet these targets, businesses can either collect and dispose of waste with PWPs or registered recyclers or purchase EPR certificates (in the case of e-waste).
The EPR implementation encourages companies to eco-design their plastic packaging and supports them in minimizing waste. However, it comes with its own set of challenges. These are as follows:

• Fragmented Supply Chain: The supply chain for plastic waste management is often fragmented, creating difficulties and delays in tracking and disposing of the waste.
• Inadequate Infrastructure: Rudimentary and obsolete plastic waste recycling and segregation infrastructure act as a major obstacle in streamlining the waste management process. Recycling becomes a costly and time-consuming process, and hamper the profitability of the business in the long run.
• Resource and Cost Restraint: Implementation of EPR norms requires a substantial portion of financial investment and human resources. It poses a huge barrier for small businesses because of high upfront costs and the absence of trained personnel. Thus implementation of Strategic Approaches To EPR will enhance compliance and safeguard from legal obligations like Environmental Compensation (EC).
• Lack of Awareness and Understanding: Many producers and importers are unaware and unfamiliar with the framework which makes compliance a strenuous task. In addition, a lack of knowledge among consumers also delays the proper plastic disposal process.
• Monitoring and Enforcement Issues: Limited monitoring and the absence of an accurate and comprehensive dataset increase the chances of non-compliance with EPR norms. Difficulty in tracking waste amounts, fraudulent certificates of recycling, and complex EPR norms further exacerbate the issue.

Conclusion

Plastic waste EPR registration and implementation goes beyond management and encompasses prevention, mitigation, and adopting best practices, both domestically and globally. It aims to inculcate Strategic Approaches to EPR Compliance for Plastic Waste in the business through a myriad of steps. This may include the introduction of an effective plastic waste collection system, partnering with other stakeholders to eliminate and minimize plastic waste generation in the entire supply chain, and communicating with consumers about proper disposal of the same.

In India, it is important to Meet EPR Targets and Manage Plastic Waste Effectively if you are involved in a plastic manufacturing or packaging business. Since the Scope of EPR for Plastic Packaging Waste extends to not just safe disposal, but also recycling, re-use, and refurbishing, it becomes imperative to comply with its norms as per the specified guidelines and within the stipulated timeframe.

Connect with LegalRaasta to receive your EPR certification by following a few simple steps and submitting some requested documents online. Our professionals are readily available to assist you through the entire process, ensuring that you quickly receive your certificate and avail best pre and post-registration services.