New Delhi, Oct 22 The Centre has strengthened the legal framework for waste management by introducing sector-specific rules for different waste streams, including plastic waste, battery waste, e-waste, and waste tyres, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Thursday.
These rules focused on waste prevention, recycling, reuse, remanufacturing and resource recovery across the product life cycle, he said during an address at the Circular Economy Conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry in New Delhi.
Yadav said nearly 499.60 lakh metric tonnes of waste have been processed across regulated waste streams so far, with more than 86,043 producers and 4,880 recyclers registered under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks.
The framework requires producers, importers and brand owners to ensure environmentally sound management of products at the end of their life, he said.
“The transfer of EPR certificates provided financial incentives to recyclers, encouraging capacity expansion, technological advancement and increased recycling, while contributing to job creation and livelihoods across the recycling value chain,” he added.
On plastic waste management, the minister called for greater coordination between producers and recyclers to address concerns over the availability of recyclable material and recycling capacity.
“The objective goes beyond issuing certificates to creating jobs, strengthening local industry capacity, promoting knowledge-sharing and advancing technology,” he said.
(PTI News)
