Goodbye plastic waste? EPR deadline is today

With India generating 26,000-tonnes of plastic waste every day, conversations about waste management responsibility are particularly important. While blockbuster brands and the packaging ecosystem have been prepping for D-Day, Recykal cautioned the industry that "7,00,000 fake certificates and key polluters are missing." The tweet posted on their X handle alluded to the fact that India’s EPR compliance system is at a critical juncture. Fraud, misaligned accountability, and an undervalued recycling ecosystem are undermining the very essence of "polluter pays."

With 8-million tonnes of plastic packaging waste generated annually, urgent reforms are non-negotiable, said the Recykal spokesperson.  Recykal operates in 30 states and union territories. The group has ensured waste channeling went from 10,000-metric tonnes (mt) annually to 200,000-mt. Even then, the group believes accountability shouldn’t feel like a juggling act. The Recykal EPR Loop streamlines compliance.

Rajesh Kumar Gera is a packaging and recycling consultant who puts some things into context about the PET recycling industry. He said the industry had a turnover of INR 5,000-crore in 2020-21. This has increased to INR 7,000-crore plus in 2023-24. Gera added, "Today, India has one of the highest PET recycling rates at 92%, which competes with the best nation-states globally. The Indian recycling industry consists of unorganised and organised recyclers."

When Team WhatPackaging? attended the Plastics Recycling Show in 2024, we noticed that despite new installations, there is a demand-supply gap for rPET chips. PET consumption in India is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9-10% over the next five years, further driving demand for rPET.

The Indian PET recycling industry is projected to grow at 15-20% p.a. in the coming years. It is estimated that the Indian PET recycling industry will have a turnover of INR 10,000-crore plus in the next two to three years’ time. As Rajesh Gera said, "In addition to traditional mechanical recycling, there is an interest in chemical and biochemical (enzymatic) recycling for difficult-to-recycle PET packaging and other polyester materials like textiles." A major business daily also pointed out how India requires about 1,200 kilo tonnes of rigid PET annually. 

There is a lot of good news, though. Uflex Limited announced an investment of INR 317-crore towards the establishment of two new recycling plants in Noida to process 39,600-mt of plastic waste. The USP of the recycling plant is super-clean, capable of de-inking post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials by over 95%, making it one of the most advanced methods globally. The certification adheres to international standards and contributes to the global shift toward a circular economy, the company informed stock exchanges in a filing.

Some manufacturers have directly partnered with plastic recycling companies to set up recycling plants. In December 2024, SLMG Beverages, Coca-Cola India’s bottling partner, partnered with DPIPL, a leader in plastic recycling, to set up an INR 220-crore greenfield recycling plant in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. It can process 36,000-mt of recycled PET flakes and 24,000-mt of PET granules annually.

Meanwhile, D-Day is here. Businesses are obligated under the new EPR scheme to submit their packaging data and register with their environmental regulator. Failure to meet the 1 April deadline could result in enforcement action. There may be an extension, but the word from the EPR experts is not to treat this as an April Fool's joke.