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The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has issued notification on Extended Producers Responsibility to regulate plastic packaging under Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016.

The guidelines:

• The guidelines give a proper framework to improve the management of plastic waste and make it mandatory to reuse rigid plastic packaging material. 
• The recycling of plastic waste under EPR guidelines along with the use of recycled plastic content will reduce plastic consumption and promote the practice of recycling. 
• The guidelines set up a market mechanism for plastic waste management through the allowance of sale and purchase of surplus extended producer responsibility certificates.
• It will be implemented through a customised online platform that acts as the digital backbone of the system. This will enable online tracking and monitoring of EPR obligations and will decrease the compliance burden on the companies with the aid of online registration and filing of annual returns. 
• It will also impose environmental compensation based on the polluter pays principle if the guidelines are not obeyed by the producers, importers and brand owners. As a result the pollution levels will be kept under check.
• In order to prevent the mixing of plastic packaging waste with solid waste, the producers, importer and brand owners may avail the provisions like deposit refund system or buy back or any other model.