Strategic Approaches To EPR Waste Compliance For Plastic Waste

Extended Producer Responsibility certificate is an important accreditation that represents the company’s commitment towards safeguarding the environment and implementing sustainable business practices. In layman’s terms, it is a certification that shows whether a company has a system for the safe disposal and recycling of their products post-consumer use.

EPR Certificate for plastic waste is mandatory for all PIBOs (Producer, Importer, and Brand Owner) and remain valid for one year. The authorization process falls under the ambit of the CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board). To obtain the certificate, firstly the PIBOs are requested to register on the website, following which they must submit an action plan.

PIBOs are obliged to inform the concerned authorities regarding their recycling mechanism, usage of recycled content, end-of-life disposal, agreements with any collection agents or PROs, submission of annual returns, and proof of credits generated in waste management.

Let’s delve further and find out the important strategic approaches to EPR waste compliance and initiatives that can be taken to implement the same.

EPR Strategies for Plastic Waste:

In a circular economy where reuse and regeneration is promoted to encourage sustainable production practices. EPR will play a pivotal role in driving the economy on this progressive path. The certificate will ensure that companies are adhering to environmental norms and help build robust consumer trust and brand.

Centralized EPR portal developed by CPCB provide provision for registration of PWP (Plastic waste processors) and PIBOs. PWPs include recyclers, waste to oil plants, waste to energy plants, and co-processors, among others.

Note: Micro and small brand owners are exempted from obtaining EPR Certificate for plastic waste management. However, those who manufacture plastic packaging ae required to comply to the EPR norms and register on the CPCB portal.

Design for Recyclability and Longevity:

To ease the burden of managing plastic waste that is growing every second, PIBOs can opt for materials that are easily recyclable and eco-friendly. This will lower the costs associated with waste disposing and lead to high recycling rates.

In addition, avoiding multi-layered packaging to speed up the process of separation of materials during recycling. Pick alternatives like mono-material packaging that only use single material in the packaging process.

Adopt Technology-backed recycling that enables producers to cut-down costs and make the process comparatively speedier. Here, plastic is crushed by a machine, which then re-melt into granules and reused as a raw material for a new product.

Some EPR regulations mandate adding labels that guide consumers how to dispose this particular product. For producer, this will encourage proper disposal among consumers itself and enhance brand’s image in both domestic and international market.

Dedicated Collection Points for Managing Plastic Waste:

To ensure compliance with EPR Certificate for plastic waste, PIBOs must invest in recycling infrastructure that collects, sorts, reprocess, and reduce waste leakage into the environmental ecosystem.

Producers and manufacturers can take steps to develop an active and efficient plastic waste collection mechanism. Since the EPR norms require PIBOs to collect and dispose all plastic products they have sold in the given year, this initiative will enhance compliance and eliminate risk of paying penalties due to non-compliance.

For effective handling of plastic waste, PIBOs can collaborate with PROs (Producer Responsibility Organizations). PROs help producers delegate their responsibility of managing plastic waste while still meeting the specified targets.

Promote Take-Back Programs:

The pace at which plastic is produced is way higher than its rate of recycling. Due to this, plastic ends up as a heap of waste in the landfills, left to rot and ruin the environment for millions of years. So how to tackle this? EPR is the solution where a take-back program forms a major component.

In a linear economy, producers manufacture the plastic and deliver it to the consumers. However, in a circular economy plastic remain in use for as long as it can be reused and recycled. This enable lower waste production and minimize environmental pollution.

Take-back program refers to collecting used materials and products from consumers at the end of the its life cycle. This allows consumers to return the products for disposal and recycling, and help mitigate the risk that arise due to plastic usage.

EPR Certificate for plastic waste hold the producers accountable for their products. In this case, take-back mechanism will help producers meet their recycling targets and optimize the entire process to enhance efficiency and minimize costs.

Consumer Awareness Programs and Campaigns:

PIBOs can initiate consumer awareness campaigns that exclusively focus on the importance of proper plastic waste disposal and recycling. An aware and informed consumer base understands the need for proper sorting of waste. This will allow producers to retrieve more plastic from households and increase recycling efficiency.

Producers can spearhead educational campaigns which highlight the negative consequences of plastic waste. From the production front, products with minimal plastic packaging will further bolster sustainable production in the economy.

Adopt Innovation and Technology:

By adopting software solutions and digital tools, compliance to EPR Certificate for plastic waste will become an easy process. It will enable faster tracking of waste pickup and assist in creating compliance reports. Further, the digitization will help PIBOs and PWP maintain data for regulatory requirements.

Innovation can be bolstered by adopting chemical recycling process, technology-backed sorting technologies, and designing products with better reusability.

Tracking and Compliance:

The monitoring and reporting norms of EPR make PIBOs adhere to regulations set under the framework. These regulations mandate the producers to register with the concerned authorities, report quantity of waste generated, implement plastic waste management techniques, and keep detailed records of the entire process.

The reporting norms oblige producers to regularly submit reports on waste collection amount, how much was recycled and disposed of, and whether it was done within specified deadlines. Complying with these requirements is crucial to avoid any potential lawsuits, fines, and penalties in future. It will also present the company as a responsible stakeholder during audits and inspections often conducted by the government authorities.

Collaborate with Stakeholders:

EPR Certificate for plastic waste is a strategic move that aims to protect the environment, bring transparency by promoting tracking mechanism, and help companies demonstrate their efforts in facilitating a positive change.

By involving all the stakeholders in EPR, the entire plastic waste management will become a quicker, seamless, productive, and profitable process. Collaboration will bring unique insights and knowledge to forefront and enforce increased compliance.

Partnering with certified waste collection agencies, certified recycling units, and firms involved in waste management will enable better collection, recycling, and disposal. In addition, collaboration with local government must be promoted as individual efforts synergised with the actions of others are bound to bring unmatchable achievements in sustainable development.

Align with the policy changes:

In this ever evolving era, businesses and companies must stay updated to actively implement any changes that arise due to policy shifts. Any changes in amount of how much plastic a producer can channelize into the market or variations in collection targets require producers to be diligently informed.

Continuously monitoring the modifications in EPR norms will help PIBOs create a far robust and comprehensive plastic waste management plan. It will further assist them in gauging the actual potential costs and enable them to be prepared for any possible adjustments required in EPR compliance.

As our world progresses towards an era where sustainability is preached in every spectrum of life, changes to EPR rules are also important. As the heaps of waste landfills keep rising to unmatchable heights, every stakeholder in the EPR must implement changes to adapt with time. Promote innovation and adopt modern technologies to catch up with any variations and implement grassroots-level change. Work with suppliers to promote sustainable practices and easy compliance with EPR Certificate for plastic waste.

Final Thoughts

The EPR framework mandates producers to manage the end-of life treatment of their products and ensure its proper collection, recycling, and safe-disposal. The motive behind this is to make the producers physically and/or financially responsible for the waste generated by their products.

Meet the EPR targets to demonstrate your commitment to how much you value sustainability in your production process. Include strategies like designing products with minimal non-recyclable material, establishing collection points and take-back mechanisms, investing in infrastructure that is advanced and minimizes human error, and educating consumers about proper plastic waste management. In addition, collaborate with various stakeholders in the EPR ecosystem and develop effective reporting tools and mechanisms.

Thus, Legal Raasta intends to spread awareness regarding EPR Certificate for plastic waste and promote responsible plastic waste management through its myriad of services. We offer consultation services, and waste audits, and provide customized sustainability solutions to address all sorts of needs of a business. By collaborating with us, you can effectively implement a functioning and cost-effective plastic waste management system and seamlessly comply with EPR regulations.

Remember, sustainable development is striking the right balance between meeting current needs and preserving the resources for the future generations. It’s the environmentally conscious generation that will rule the economy in the coming years and change will become inevitable.