The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has released a draft notification on June 3, 2025, proposing amendments to the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. These changes aim to further strengthen the effective implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) guidelines for plastic packaging and address existing challenges. The government is inviting public comments and suggestions on the draft within sixty days from its publication in the Gazette.
The proposed amendments, titled “Plastic Waste Management (Second Amendment) Rules, 2025,” introduce phased mandatory targets for the use of recycled plastic content in packaging and for the reuse of rigid plastic packaging.
Key Proposed Amendments
The draft outlines new obligations for producers, importers, and brand owners under Schedule-II, paragraph 7 of the existing rules:
Mandatory Use of Recycled Plastic Content
Producers, importers, and brand owners will face progressively increasing obligations to use recycled plastic in their packaging. The targets vary by plastic packaging category (Category I, II, and III) and will be phased in from the financial year 2025-26 up to 2028-29 and onwards.
- For Category I packaging, the recycled content target will increase from 30% in 2025-26 to 60% by 2028-29.
- Category II will see an increase from 10% to 20% in the same period.
- Category III will rise from 5% to 10%.
Exemptions may be granted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on a case-by-case basis if meeting the obligation is not possible due to statutory or technical requirements (e.g., if recycled content is not allowed by law or renders the material unfit for intended use).
Any shortfall in meeting the 2025-26 target can be carried forward for a period of three years starting from 2026-27. For imported plastic, recycled content used in the imported material itself will not count towards the obligation; importers will need to fulfill their targets by purchasing certificates from entities exceeding their recycled content obligations.
Obligation for Reuse of Rigid Plastic Packaging (for Brand Owners)
Brand owners using Category I (rigid) plastic packaging will have minimum reuse obligations, also phased in from 2025-26.
- For rigid packaging between 0.9 kg/litre and 4.9 kg/litre, the reuse target starts at 10% in 2025-26 and rises to 25% by 2028-29.
- For rigid packaging of 4.9 kg/litre or more used for drinking water, the targets are significantly higher, starting at 70% in 2025-26 and reaching 85% by 2028-29.
- For rigid packaging of 4.9 kg/litre or more used for other products, the target begins at 10% and increases to 15%.
The reuse of rigid plastic packaging in food contact applications will be subject to regulation by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Similar to recycled content, exemptions for statutory or technical reasons can be granted by CPCB, and a shortfall from 2025-26 can be carried forward for three years. Brand owners will be required to provide this information on a centralized CPCB portal.
The draft notification is available for public information, and any person interested in making objections or suggestions is encouraged to do so in writing within sixty days from the date the notification is made available to the public. Comments can be sent via post to the Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, Jor Bagh Road, Aliganj, New Delhi-110003, or electronically at the email address: sohsmd-mef@gov.in.
