India's plastic waste rules have been updated more frequently than almost any other environmental regulation in recent years. The Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 have been amended in July 2022, April 2023, October 2023, and March 2024. If you are a producer, importer or brand owner using plastic packaging, you are affected by all of these.
From July 1, 2022, the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of 19 categories of single-use plastic items is prohibited. This includes plastic cutlery, straws, earbuds, candy sticks, polystyrene decoration items and similar low-utility, high-litter products. Plastic carry bags must be at least 120 microns thick — thinner bags are banned.
Producers, importers and brand owners (PIBOs) are required to register on the CPCB EPR Portal for plastic packaging and meet annual recycling targets. The portal has been operational since April 2022. Annual returns must be filed by October 31 of each financial year.
The targets include minimum recycled content requirements in new packaging and minimum collection and recycling of post-consumer plastic packaging waste. Environmental compensation is levied on those who miss targets, based on the Polluter Pays principle.
The Extended Producer Responsibility Rules 2024, effective from April 1, 2026, expand EPR beyond plastic to include glass, paper, sanitary products and metal packaging. If your business uses any of these materials in packaging, you will need to register and meet compliance targets from that date.
If you generate plastic packaging waste — from manufacturing, retail or warehousing — you need a registered recycler to collect and process it, and you need a certificate from them to prove it was recycled. This is the document that goes into your CPCB annual return.
Official resource: CPCB Plastic Waste Rules | Environmental Compensation Regime (PDF)
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