With the idea of creating a sustainable environment for the coming generations, Extended producer responsibility (EPR) plays an essential role. The idea has paved its way to the very roots of recycling as well as using discarded plastic in different ways. EPR puts the responsibility on the producers and owners for safe treatment of the plastic waste for not just disposing but for using in different ways as well. This policy approaches the owners of big corporations to deal with post-consumer products that can treat instead of ending up in landfills.
With the new management rules related to EPR coming out, this becomes a little easier to accomplish. The government has planned everything in a structured manner with respect to the sale as well as carbon trading mechanisms for keeping climate change under control. Compliance with the new rules has become mandatory for all producers and owners thereby making the objective of this initiative closer to its goal.
Towards a new future
The new set of laws aims to address this issue by making compliance with EPR duties financially attractive. Surplus EPR certificates in any firm would now be able to be taken forward, used to offset previous year’s lapses, or even traded and shared with others. The Central Pollution Control Board proposes creating a dedicated site to handle these transactions. Equally crucial is the provision in these laws for “environmental compensation”. It acts as a form of punishment for manufacturers, importers, and brand owners of plastic material who fail to reach the EPR requirements. The revenues raising by this initiative are for plastic garbage collection, recycling, and end-of-life disposal. Therefore, everything is done with a lot of attention to make sure that everyone obeys the rules, at any cost.
With single-use plastic replacing cloth bags and other alternatives, plastic is recycling to be used in different ways. The government is keeping a close tab on the waste being generated so that this issue can be tackled at the root level itself. This would mean educating people about the new rules as well as making sure that they do not dispose of the plastic out in the open instead of looking for an alternative. Unless and until the government devises appropriate incentives to entice investment in this sector, the goal of reducing plastic waste output and guaranteeing its safe disposal would remain elusive.