For recycling plastic waste produced in the capital, the Delhi government is considering holding consultations with plastic manufacturers and stakeholders involved in waste management.
Officials said the environment department, with the help of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), will soon begin mapping agencies, departments and associations that need to be roped in to ensure the burden of plastic waste is reduced.
A Delhi government official said all stakeholders in the “plastic waste management ecosystem” — including plastic manufacturers associations, municipal corporations, personnel involved in waste segregation and collection — will be brought together at a conference, where consultations will be held to form an action plan.
The idea behind the exercise is to work out modalities for collection and recycling plastic waste through existing channels and technologies, such as converting waste into bitumen to be used in construction of roads.
“According to rules, a bulk producer of plastic, for instance a food chain that uses packaging material, has to collect the equal amount of plastic waste that it produces under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Since all the refuse is collected by the municipal corporations, the producers will take segregated plastic waste from them and send it for recycling…,” the official said.
In June 2020, the Union environment ministry had released a uniform framework for EPR under Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016. As per the rules, waste generators have been mandated to take steps for minimising plastic waste, preventing litter, ensuring segregation of waste at source, and handing over segregated waste either to local bodies or agencies authorised by local bodies.
The framework document by the ministry states, “Primary responsibility for collection of used multi-layered plastic sachet or pouches or packaging is of producers, importers and brand owners…”
The official cited above said South and East Delhi municipal corporations already have pilot projects in place for recycling plastic waste, however, the exercise planned by the government is expected to be on a much larger scale and would reduce burden on Delhi’s landfills.
