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Extended Producer
Responsibility:
Countless
applications of plastic along with its matchless characteristics have
resulted in the exponential growth in its consumption across the globe.
Its durability, one of its hailed benefits, is at the same time being
reviled as the biggest threat the polymer is posing to the environment.
BBC recently reported the discovery of a plastic sandwich wrapper from
Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park dating back by almost three decades
with no signs of degradation, which clearly demonstrates its durable
nature and threat. References
Sherine Thandu Parakkal
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Based
on the 'polluter pays' principle, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)
for the plastic sector was first introduced in India under Plastic Waste
Management (PWM) Rules, 2016. The rules imposed the onus of collection,
transportation, scientific disposal and management of post-consumer
plastic on its producers, importers, and brand owners (PIBOs). Though
the rules mandated installation of the waste collect-back system and
respective plan submissions by PIBOs to the state pollution control
boards (SPCBs), the lack of clarity of the mechanism, registration
norms, unpreparedness of PIBOs and poor municipal capacities resulted in
poor implementation of these regulations. 
The
countries that have successfully implemented the EPR have limited their
scope to specific types of plastic waste and have an established
segregation system. However, India's draft framework has not clearly
defined its scope nor does it have a solid segregation system. The
devolution of the EPR corpus fund from the centre to the local level can
improve its accessibility and reduce approval and permission timeline
enabling faster implementation. The framework currently based on the
'polluter pays' principle should take into consideration the strategies
to minimise the production by introducing regulations for design
improvements such as design for environment, design for collection, and
design for recycling/reuse to delay the end of life and provide other
incentives and impose punitive measures at the upstream sector.