Waste collectors and processors report a massive surge in packaging waste, especially plastic packaging, from e-commerce transactions since 2017. In our last article on the topic, a waste worker from Bengaluru put this at 10-15% of all the dry waste they receive.
Under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations, brand owners are supposed to be responsible for the life cycle of all the plastic they introduce into the market. Let us say an e-commerce company delivers a packet of potato chips to a consumer, after wrapping it in a compostable plastic bag. Then the chips brand would be responsible for its packet, while the e-commerce company must account for the compostable plastic bag. This is the ideal scenario for handling any packaging waste, but problems arise as the EPR system in India is poorly regulated.
- Under the EPR regime, brand owners should register on the EPR portal; and declare their annual plastic waste generation which would include pre-consumer packaging waste (any reject plastic waste generated during packaging) and post-consumer waste (packaging that reaches consumers).
- As of 2024-25, brand owners have to collect plastic waste equivalent to 100% of their generation. This can be plastic packaging waste generated by their own brand or other brands.
- Based on the quantity of waste declared, EPR portal will calculate and display their recycling target for the year. The following recycling targets came into effect this year:
- For Category I plastic (rigid plastic): 50% of the declared quantity to be recycled
- Category II (flexible packaging with single/multiple plastic layers): 30%
- Category III (multilayer plastic with layers of plastic plus another material): 30%
- Category IV (compostable plastic): 50%
The remaining waste can be used in end-of-life disposal techniques like cement plants, roadmaking and waste-to-energy plants. Recycling targets will increase by 10% every year, until it reaches 80% for categories I and IV, and 60% for categories II and III by 2027-28.
- Targets for brand owners to reuse plastic containers and use recycled plastic will kick in from 2025-26.
To know more, read Unpacking EPR for plastic packaging in India, a report by the Centre for Science and Environment
Why this has fallen short
First of all, recycling targets for brand owners are based on the plastic waste generation that they themselves declare, without external audits.
Read more: The what, why and how of a plastic waste brand audit
Besides, “barring very few exceptions, most e-commerce companies prefer recycling vendors who give pan-India services at the lowest cost. They don’t go into the details of if or how the recycler processes the waste,” says Krishnapriya A, co-founder of Spreco Recycling, a waste management company in Chennai.
There have also been allegations of waste processors issuing fraudulent EPR certificates to brand owners (not specifically e-commerce companies). EPR certificates indicate if a brand owner has met their recycling/disposal targets.
A report published by the Centre for Science and Environment this October, pointed out that EPR certificates issued by many waste processors showed higher quantities processed than their actual capacity. For example, one recycler had capacity to process only 17,760 tonnes per annum, but claimed to have processed 2.8 lakh tonnes and generated as many EPR certificates. The report recommended prioritising third-party audits of waste processors who have issued certificates.
Read more: Plastic waste: Why EPR alone doesn’t stand a chance
What you can do as a consumer
In our earlier article, we have seen how handling of some of the packaging waste that reaches the consumer effectively thwarts recycling. Waste activists in Chennai and Bengaluru suggest consumers reuse packaging materials as much as possible. Giving these away for recycling should be the last option, since many packages don’t get recycled at all and because recycling is also energy-intensive.
Bengaluru-based waste activist Odette Katrak says:
- After cleaning food containers, reuse it for other purposes (such as collecting seeds for your garden). Send them for recycling only after they wear out. Else, pass it on to others who may find it useful, such as your domestic help.
- When disposing of cartons/cardboard boxes, collapse them so that they take up less space in bins and collection trucks. Else waste collectors have to make more trips, adding to the carbon footprint of waste.
- Brown paper bags are intended to be reused. Don’t use these to wrap wet or sanitary waste. Instead, reuse them to wrap other materials or to store vegetables in your fridge. Or you can pass these on to street vendors so that they can avoid giving plastic bags to their customers.
Anjana S, a consumer, says she has been trying to purchase groceries more often from local delivery companies that use sustainable packaging materials like jute and leaf wraps. Another consumer, Lisha L P, says she reuses some food delivery containers to grow microgreens.
Beyond this, waste activists suggest consumers to buy from local grocers using their own reusable bags, as much as possible. This would not just reduce packaging waste, but also help sustain local vendors.