India's plastic waste management rules

This article was originally published on 23 August 2016 and updated in 2025 to add the following amendments to the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.

Registration of producers, recyclers and manufacturers

Every producer, manufacturer and recycler of single use plastic such as plastic carry bags, recycled plastic bags or multilayered packaging must obtain a certificate of 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 application for renewal of registration must be made at least 120 days before the expiry of the validity of the registration certificate.

Requirements for the producers, importers and brand owners

The existing producers, within a period of six months effective from 18 March 2016, must figure out modalities for waste collection systems 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.

• Collection of used multi-layered plastic sachets, pouches or packaging is the primary responsibility of producers, importers and brand owners. A system for collecting waste generated from their product must be established and a plan for such system must be submitted to the State Pollution Control Boards while applying for Consent to Establish or Operate or Renewal

• Manufacture and use of non-recyclable multilayered plastic must be phased out in two years’ time

• The existing producer within a period of three months effective from 18 March 2016, must submit an application 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 on and after the expiry of a period of six months from 18 March 2016 must manufacture or use any plastic or multilayered packaging for the packaging of commodities without registration from the concerned State Pollution Control Board or the Pollution Control Committees

• Every producer must maintain a record of details of the person engaged in the supply of plastic used as raw material to manufacture carry bags, plastic sheets, or covers made of plastic sheets or multilayered packaging

Requirements for the waste generator

• Measures must be taken to minimize generation of plastic waste. Segregation of plastic waste at source in accordance with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2000 must be done. Segregated waste must be handed over 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 must segregate and store the waste generated by them in accordance with the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000 and must handover segregated wastes to authorized waste processing or disposal facilities or deposition centers either on its own or through the authorized waste collection agency

Annual reports on plastic waste management

Any company involved in recycling or processing of plastic waste must 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 of April, every year.

Marking or labeling plastic and multilayered packaging

Plastic carry bags and multilayered packaging must have the following information printed in English:

1. Name, registration number of the manufacturer and thickness in case of carry bag
2. Name and registration number of the manufacturer in case of multilayered packaging
3. Name and certificate number [Rule 4(h)] in case of carry bags made from compostable plastic

Recycled carry bag must bear a label or a mark “recycled” to conform to the Indian Standard: IS 14534: 1998 titled as “Guidelines for Recycling of Plastic. Additionally, each carry bag made from compostable plastics must bear a label “compostable” and shall conform to the Indian Standard: IS or ISO 17088:2008 titled as Specifications for “Compostable Plastics”.

The manufacture, importer stocking, distribution, sale and use of carry bags, plastic sheets, or covers made of plastic and multilayered packaging, must be subject to the following conditions:

• Carry bags and plastic packaging must either be in a natural shade which is without any added pigments or made using only pigments and colorants which are in conformity with Indian Standard : IS 9833:1981 titled “List of pigments and colorants for use in plastics in contact with foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and drinking water”

• Carry bags made of recycled plastic or products made of recycled plastic mustn’t be used for storing, carrying, dispensing or packaging ready-to-eat-or-drink food stuff

• Carry bag made of virgin or recycled plastic, must not be less than 50 microns in thickness

• Plastic sheets, which aren’t an integral part of multilayered packaging and covers made of plastic sheets used for packaging; wrapping the commodity mustn’t be less than 50 microns in thickness except where the thickness of such plastic sheets impair the functionality of the product

• The manufacturer mustn’t sell or provide or arrange plastic to be used as raw material to a producer, not having valid registration from the concerned State Pollution Control Boards or Pollution Control Committee

• Recycling of plastic waste must conform to the Indian Standard: IS 14534:1998 titled as Guidelines for Recycling of Plastics

• The provision of thickness mustn’t be applicable to carry bags made up of compostable plastic. Carry bags made from compostable plastics must conform to the Indian Standard: IS 17088:2008 titled as Specifications for Compostable Plastics

• The manufacturers or seller of compostable plastic carry bags must obtain a certificate from the Central Pollution Control Board before marketing or selling

• Plastic material, in any form including vinyl acetate, maleic acid, and vinyl chloride copolymer, mustn’t be used in any package for packaging gutkha, pan masala and tobacco in all forms

These rules don’t apply to the export-oriented units or units in special economic zones, notified by the Central Government, manufacturing their products against an order for export.