NEW
DELHI: The Centre on Friday notified new plastic waste management rules
for the country, replacing the earlier ones made five years ago. The
new rules, which are more stringent than the previous rules, will be
implemented across the country within 6 months.

Under the new
rules, carrying certain dos and don’ts for manufacturers, distributors,
municipal bodies and panchayats, the government banned the manufacturing
of plastic bags of below 50 microns as thinner bags currently pose a
major threat to environment due to its non-disposability.

Manufacturers
of plastic bags will have to make certain payments to states for its
post-use disposal. The money, collected by the states from the
manufacturers, will be given to local civic bodies and panchayats for
taking multiple measures to dispose off plastic bags properly.

“Rural
areas have also been brought in the ambit of these rules since plastic
has reached to villages. Responsibility for implementation of the rules
is given to Gram Panchayats”, said environment minister Prakash
Javadekar while sharing details of the new rules.

He said,
“Responsibility of waste generator is being introduced for the first
time. Accordingly, individual and bulk generators like offices,
commercial establishments and industries are to segregate the plastic
waste at source, handover segregated waste and pay user fee as per
bye-laws of the local bodies”.

Under the new law, persons or
organizations, including even the political parties, have been made
responsible for management of waste generated from the events –
political rallies, marriage function, religious gathering or public
meetings – organised by them.

Manufacturing and use of non-recyclable multi-layered plastic will also be phased out in two years under the new rules.

Javadekar
said, “The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has been mandated to
formulate guidelines for thermoset plastic (the plastic difficult to
recycle). In earlier rules, there was no specific provision of such type
of plastic”.