Plastic Waste Management Rules and its provisions:

Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, New Delhi notified Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 vide notification no. G.S.R. 320 (E) dated 18.03.2016 to provide a regulatory frame-work for management of plastic waste in the country. These rules shall apply to every waste generator, local body, Gram Panchayats, manufacturers, Importers, producer and brand-owner.

• The waste generator shall take steps to minimize generation of plastic waste and segregate plastic waste at source in accordance with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 or as amended from time to time and not litter the plastic waste and ensure segregated storage of waste at source and handover segregated waste to
• urban local body or gram panchayat or agencies appointed by them or registered waste pickers', registered recyclers or waste collection agencies.
• All institutional generators of plastic waste, shall segregate and store the waste generated by them in accordance with the Solid Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 and handover segregated wastes to authorized waste processing or disposal facilities or deposition centres either on its own or through the authorized waste collection agency.
• Every person responsible for organizing an event in open space, which involves service of food stuff in plastic or multilayered packaging shall segregate and manage the waste generated during such events in accordance with the Solid Waste (Management) Rules, 2016.
• The producers, within a period of six months from the date of publication of these rules, shall work out modalities for waste collection system based on Extended Producers Responsibility and involving State Urban Development Departments, either individually or collectively, through their own distribution channel or through the local body concerned.
• Primary responsibility for collection of used multi-layered plastic sachet or pouches or packaging is of 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. This plan of collection to be submitted to the State Pollution Control Boards while applying for Consent to Establish or Operate or Renewal. The Brand Owners whose consent has been renewed before the notification of these rules shall submit such plan within one year from the date of notification of these rules and implement with two years thereafter.
• Manufacture and use of multilayered plastic which is non-recyclable or non-energy recoverable or with no alternate use should be phased out in Two years time.
• The producer, within a period of three months from the date of final publication of these rules in the Official Gazette shall apply to the Pollution Control Board or the Pollution Control Committee, as the case may be, of the States or the Union Territories administration concerned, for grant of registration.
• No producer shall on and after the expiry of a period of Six Months from the date of final publication of these rules in the Official Gazette manufacture or use any plastic or multilayered packaging for packaging of commodities without registration from the concerned State Pollution Control Board or the Pollution Control Committees.
• Every producer shall maintain a record of details of the person engaged in supply of plastic used as raw material to manufacture carry bags or plastic sheet or like or cover made of plastic sheet or multilayered packaging.
• The State Pollution Control Board and Pollution Control Committee in respect of a Union territory shall be the authority for enforcement of the provisions of these rules relating to registration, manufacture of plastic products and multilayered packaging, processing and disposal of plastic wastes.
• No person shall manufacture carry bags or recycle plastic bags or multilayered packaging unless the person has obtained a registration from the State Pollution Control Board or the Pollution Control Committee of the Union Territory concerned, as the case may be, prior to the commencement of production;
• Every producer shall, for the purpose of registration or for renewal of registration, make an application to the State Pollution Control Board or the Pollution Control Committee of the Union territory concerned, in Form I
• Every person recycling or processing waste or proposing to recycle or process plastic waste shall make an application to the State Pollution Control Board or the Pollution Control Committee, for grant of registration or renewal of registration for the recycling unit, in Form II.
• Every manufacturer engaged in manufacturer of plastic to be used as raw material by the producer shall make an application to the State Pollution Control Board or the Pollution Control Committee of the Union territory concerned, for the grant of registration or for the renewal of registration, in Form III.
• The registration granted under this rule shall initially be valid for a period of one year, unless revoked, suspended or cancelled and shall subsequently be granted for three years.
• Every person engaged in recycling or processing of plastic waste shall prepare and submit an annual report in Form-IV to the local body concerned under intimation to the concerned State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee by the 30th April, of every year.
• Every local body shall prepare and submit an annual report in Form -V to the concerned Secretary-in-charge of the Urban Development Department under intimation to the concerned State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee by the 30th June, every year.
• Each State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee shall prepare and submit an annual report in Form VI to the CPCB on the implementation of these rules by the 31st July, of every year.

Implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules in the State

• Department of Local Government, Punjab vide notification no. 5/18/2016-4lg4/692717/1 dated 18/02/2016 has completely prohibited manufacture, stock, distribute, recycle, sell or use of plastic carry bags in the jurisdiction of all the Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats in the State of Punjab, with effect from the 1^st April, 2016. Further following officers have been authorized to take action in pursuance to the provisions of sub-section (1) of section 23 of the Punjab Plastic Carry Bags (Manufacture, Usage and Disposal) Control Act, 2005:

• Department of Rural Development & Panchayats vide notification no. SO 438/P.A.9/1994/S30/2016 dated 29^thMarch, 2016 has completely prohibited the manufacture, stock, distribute, recycle, sale or use of plastic carry bags in Gram Panchayats in the State of Punjab w.e.f. 1st April 2016.
• The Governor of Punjab vide ordinance no. 1 of 2016 called Punjab Plastic Carry Bags (Manufacture, Usage and Disposal) Control (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 dated 01.02.2016 has completely prohibited to manufacture, stock, distribute, recycle, sale or use of plastic carry bags and containers made of virgin or recycled plastic and plastic items having one time use such as disposable plastic cups, tumblers, spoons, forks and straws.
• The Department of Local Government vide its memo no. 5/18/2016-4SS4/808985/1 dated 01.08.2016 has clarified that there is no ban on the materials made from thermocol, however, the manufacture, stock, distribute, recycle, sell or use of plastic carry bags is completely banned in the State.
• Department of Local Govt., Punjab vide notification no. 5/95/2016-41/G4/1624 dated 11.07.2017 has constituted State Level Advisory Committee constituted under Rule 16 of the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.

Plastic Waste Management Rules as amended from time to time

1. Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2021.
2. Plastic Waste Management (Second Amendment) Rules, 2021.
3. Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022.
4. Plastic Waste Management (Second Amendment) Rules, 2022.
5. SOP for registration of PIBOs under PWM Rules, 2016 (as amended) issued by CPCB_March 2022.
6. SOP for registration of PWPs under PWM Rules, 2016 (as amended) issued by CPCB_March 2022.
7. Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2023.

• Provisional Certificate to Manufacturer for Marketing and selling of compositable carry Bags/Products
• Plastic Waste Management(Amendment) Rules, 2018
• Notification of the State Advisory Body by Department of Local Govt. vide no.5/95/2016-41/G4/1624 dated 11.07.2017
• Department of Local Govt. order no. 5/18/2016-4SS4/808985/1 dated 01.08.2016 regarding uplifting of ban of manufacture, stock, distribution, recycling, sale or use  of one time use products made from thermacol
• Department of Rural Development and Panchayat notification dated 29.03.2016 regarding complete prohibition to manufacture, stock, distribute, recycle, cell or use of plastic bags in the Gram Panchayats in the State of Punjab