One in three plastic generators in Tamil Nadu does not recycle plastic waste according to govt-mandated norms. Despite a Feb 2022 Union govt rule for all plastic waste generators to recycle their waste under the extended producer responsibility system, more than 30% of plastic-waste generating firms have evaded the system. Nobody knows where their plastic waste gets disposed of or dumped.The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board is yet to crack whip on violators with penalties and punishments for not taking accountability of their plastic waste.
The portal, established to ensure plastic waste generators responsibly dispose of their waste, has seen largescale evasion. In Feb 2022, the Union government mandated that all plastic waste generators register with the EPR portal under the Central Pollution Control Board. As of July 2024, 30% of the total 1,095 plastic waste generators in TN have avoided this requirement, failing to declare the quantity and type of plastic they generate.
As many as 323 plastic waste generators, including producers and brand owners, are yet to register. Producers are companies that get virgin plastic granules to make plastic products, while brand owners buy plastic products from producers.
This lack of compliance means there are no records of plastics being recycled or properly disposed of. Unregistered companies may dump plastics in open spaces, landfills and waterbodies or engage with informal recyclers who violate legal and environmental norms, according to a TNPCB official.
TNPCB has not yet taken action against violators. As of mid-July, 772 plastic generators have registered with the TNPCB. Additionally, 99 recyclers, including cement industries, pyrolysis plants, and waste-to-energy plants, have also registered with the portal.
TNPCB, in response, said that in May 2024, notices were issued to unregistered entities identified through ‘consent to operate’ clearances, mapping them with registered ones, though importers remain unmapped. The notice instructed all plastic waste generators register on the EPR portal by May 31, 2024, or face penalties, including environmental compensation.
However, no penalties have been imposed yet. TNPCB said the process is still new, and many companies need more awareness. TNPCB has conducted 12 awareness sessions from 2022 to 2024 and set up a helpline that has received 1,300 calls since May last year.
The EPR portal, designed to help waste generators match with recyclers, is not free of flaws. āWaste generators can collect the same amount and type of waste they generate from anywhere for recycling. They may supply waste to villages but collect from cities due to greater accessibility and lower transport costs. This practice does not address the local dangers of plastic waste,ā said Om Prakash, an independent researcher and advisor with the Centre for Financial Accountability.
This article was originally published in Times Of India and can be read here.
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