The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MOEFCC) has recently released the Plastic Waste Management (Second Amendment) Rules 2021. According to which, recycled plastic or products made of recycled plastic can be used for storing, carrying, dispensing, or packaging ready-to-eat or drinks.
| As per PWM (Second Amendment) 2021 | Rules prior to the amendment |
|---|---|
| Carry bags made of recycled plastic or products made of recycled plastic can be used for – storing – carrying – dispensing – packaging ready-to-eat or drink foodstuff subject to the notification of appropriate standards and regulation under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006) by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India | No such rules are stated in the PWM 2016. |
This is a big step towards efficient plastic waste management and increasing the use of recycled plastic packaging. Until now recycled plastic packaging was not allowed for ready-to-eat food or drinks.
Plastic packaging is valuable and should be recycled where possible. Recycling as many packaging materials as possible can further enhance its sustainability. More and more everyday plastics should be recycled—including bottles, caps, containers, etc.
The use of recycled plastics for food packaging has been adopted by giant food and beverages companies and would likely, increase due to the high price of crude oil a feedstock for the petrochemicals used in the manufacture of plastics. As well as the recent advances in plastic recycling technologies that allow improved quality and safety of post-consumer recycled plastics intended for food packaging sets the right path for managing plastic waste.
The MOEFCC has taken a great initiative to push ready-to-eat food and drinks manufacturers towards a more sustainable way of packaging. Even though it is an elaborate process of recycling plastic, this is a head start.
Since the release of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has published a series of amendments over the years. This gives companies time to strategise their operations and diligently work towards following these rules as well as innovating ways to make more and more use of recycled plastic.
For a detailed list of the recent amendment, click here to download
It should be noted that the MOEFCC released a detailed list of amendments to the PWM Rules, 2016 in March 2021. For a summary on the amendments head over to An Overview on the Plastic Waste Management Rules (Amendment)March 2021
With this amendment, the ministry has laid out new provisions and provided further clarity on the applicability of the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 to your brand or products.
For your support, our team of experts is available for a FREE 30-minute consultation to assist you in gaining a better understanding of these changes.
