The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on 6th July 2022 has published the Plastic Waste Management (Second Amendment) Rules, 2022 to further amend the Plastic Waste Management (Second Amendment) Rules, 2016.
Through this amendment, the definitions for the term Biodegradable plastics, End of Life disposal, Importer, Plastic Packaging, Waste to Energy, Pre-consumer plastic packaging waste etc has been notified.
Further rule 10 which deals with Protocols for compostable and biodegradable plastic materials has been substituted as follows:
Determination of the degree of degradability and degree of disintegration of plastic material shall be as per the protocols of the Indian Standards listed in Schedule I. The compostable plastic materials shall conform to the IS / ISO 17088:2021, as amended from time to time and the biodegradable plastics shall conform to the standard notified by the Bureau of Indian Standards and certified by the Central Pollution Control Board.
As a transitory measure, provisional certificate for biodegradable plastics shall be issued by the Central Pollution Control Board, in cases, where an interim test report is submitted, for an ongoing test, which covers the first component of the IS 17899 T:2022 relating to biodegradability.
Provided that the provisional certificate shall be valid till 30th June 2023 with the condition that production or import of biodegrdable plastics shall cease after the 31st day of March, 2023.
The interim test report shall be obtained from the Central Institute of Petrochemical Engineering and Technology or a laboratory recognised under the Laboratory Recognition Scheme, 2020, of the Bureau of Indian Standards or laboratories accredited for this purpose by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, and they shall certify the bio-degradation of plastic is in line with IS 17899 T:2022.
Further, under rule 13, No person shall manufacture carry bags or recycle plastic bags or multi-layered packaging unless the person has obtained registration from,-
- the concerned State Pollution Control Board or Pollution Control Committee of the Union territory, if operating in one or two states or Union territories; or
- the Central Pollution Control Board, if operating in more than two States or Union territories.
