Why in news
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The 52 companies questioned by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) include Amazon, Flipkart, Danone Foods and Beverages and Patanjali Ayurved Limited.
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These companies are questioned for not specifying a time line or a plan to collect the plastic waste that results from their business activities.
More in news
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In a notice posted on the website of the CPCB which stated that these 52 companies hadn’t yet registered at the online portal and disclosed their disposal plans.
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The Notice also warned that failing to do so would invite action against the defaulters.
What the rules have to say
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The Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016(1) Companies that use plastic in their processes ”” packaging and production ”” have a responsibility to ensure that any resulting plastic waste is safely disposed off.(2) Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) – mandates that the companies have to specify collection targets as well as a time line for this process within a year of the rules coming into effect on March 2016.
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The plastic waste can be collected by the company or outsourced to an intermediary.
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The Rules also mandate the responsibilities of local bodies, gram panchayats, waste generators and retailers to manage such waste.
Status So Far
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In spite of these laws, India has made little progress in managing its plastic waste.
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According to CPCB estimates in 2015, Indian cities generate about 15,000 tonnes of plastic waste per day and about 70% of it ends up as waste.
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Nearly 40% of the plastic waste is neither collected nor recycled and ends up polluting the land and water.
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Plastic packaging are one of the key contributors to plastic waste
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The National Green Tribunal earlier this year hauled up 25 States and Union Territories for not following its orders on submitting a plan by April 30, 2019, on how they would comply with the Plastic Waste Management Rules of 2016.
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They stand to potentially pay a fine of INR 1 crore.
Source
The Hindu