REGULATION AND LEGISLATION: PRESENT STATUS

Until recently, there has been no definite environmental policy and legislation framed in respect of plastics waste management in India. The HP Non-biodegradable Garbage (control) Act 1995, introduced by the Government of Himchal Pradesh envisages prohibition of throwing or deposing plastic articles in public places and to facilitate the collection through garbage in identifiable and marked garbage receptacles for non-biodegradables, placed at convenient places. Provisions of this Act, including those of existing laws, for imposing deterrent penalties may be referred to by the local authorities.
The Ministry of Environment and Forests has issued the criteria developed by CPCB in association with the Bureau of Indian Standards for labeling 'plastic products' as 'Environment - friendly' under its 'Ecomark' scheme. One of the requirements for plastic products is that the material used for packaging shall be recyclable or biodegradable. Suggestions for recycled plastic products are quoted.

At present, there are no guidelines or codes of practices for collection, sorting and recycling of plastics waste in the absebce of which the conventional practices are adopted and accepted, though need has been voiced to upgrade these, both by the authorities and NGOs. However, while formulating Indian standard specifications for various plastics products, used for critical applications, like plastic piping system, water-storage tanks, packaging for food articles etc., a clause is included which reads "no recycled plastics waste shall be used". An exercise has also been carried out by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in association with the Bureau of Indian Standards to include use of recycled plastics wastes wherever appropriate in the manufacture of plastic products, and this shall be specified accordingly in the relevant Indian Specifications.

The Prevention of Food Adulteration Department of the Government of India has issued directives of various catering establishments to use only food-grade plastics, while selling or serving food items. Rules have specified use of 'food-grade' plastics, which meet certain essential requirements and are considered safe, when in contact with food. The intention is to preventing possible contamination, and to avert the danger from use of recycled plastics. The scheme announced in February, 1995, is being implemented in cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) which has formulated a series of standards on this subject. The Bureau of Indian Standards Sub-Committee PCD 12:1& is charged with formulating guidelines, codes and specifications for recycling of plastics. Two documents viz. 'Guidelines for Recycling of Plastics', and 'Recycled Plastics for manufacturing of products - Designation' have been finalized by BIS. These two documents, together with the 'Guideline on Plastics Packaging and Packaging Waste' are to be implemented by the industry.

Plastics have become a symbol of our throwaway society. They are non-biodegradable, but recyclable. With the technological advances, plastics recycling are economically feasible for plastics packaging. Recycled materials compete with virgin materials in terms of price and performance. It is an established fact that without reuse, total/absolute diversion of material from waste stream is impossible.

To enhance the demand for recyclable materials, various mechanisms and options are to be assessed. These include: user charge or a tax to ensure that individuals and companies bear the cost of solid waste containing the plastics they produce; government procurement policies, i.e. certain percentage of purchased products be recyclable or made of recycled materials, or price preference on items containing recycled material be encouraged, and finally, through recycling standards (meaning thereby that either the products or packaging be made or recyclable material, i.e. the material must reach a specified recycling site, or products or packaging consist of a certain percentage of recycled material and this should be appropriately labeled on the product. The advantage of recycling standards, if properly designed and applied is that they provide mechanism for coordinating recycling activities, and for establishing board-based recycling infrastructure. As an illustrative and useful example for recycling, the one taken by the Irish business and Employers' confederation and the Irish Department of the Environment at Dublin Castle, deserves special mention. Repak is the result of a challenge to industry to develop a scheme funded and organized by the industry to recycle packaging waste. It is an excellent example of a self-regulatory approach to implementation of environmental policy. In the United States, competitive non-regulatory recycling systems are responsible for recycling over 25 per cent of the total municipal wastes, with recycling having doubled over the past decade.