CH NEWS
BENGALURU
The CPCB has proposed new guidelines to strengthen Bengaluru’s handling of difficult-to-recycle multilayered plastic packaging.
The draft guidelines cover collection, segregation, sorting, recycling and disposal of multilayered plastic packaging (MLP), with responsibilities assigned to urban local bodies, producers and pollution-control authorities.
Category III MLP contains at least one plastic layer combined with a non-plastic layer such as aluminium, paper or paperboard. Such packaging is widely used for food, dairy products, confectionery and personal-care items.
In Bengaluru, experts said mandatory segregation at source could help ensure MLP is collected separately as dry waste and sent through established collection systems to material recovery facilities (MRFs) and aggregation centres.
The CPCB has proposed that registered recyclers and authorised end-of-life facilities handle the material under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework.
“Paan sachets are among the biggest culprits as they are difficult to sweep and remain as non-recoverable litter,” said Odette Katrak, founder of Beautiful Bharat.
She said such waste can eventually break down into microplastics that may leach into soil and the water table, calling for stronger penalties targeting manufacturers.
Under the 2018 guidelines, manufacturers were given two years to phase out MLP that was non-recyclable, non-energy-recoverable and had no alternative use. However, experts said MLP use continues and consumer awareness remains low.
The CPCB has proposed material recycling as the preferred option wherever technically feasible. Non-recyclable MLP could instead be converted into boards or used in road construction. The guidelines state that such waste should not be sent to landfills or openly burned.
