• UGI USER
  • Jul 21, 2024
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“CPCB LAUNCHES AUDIT AMIDST PLASTIC WASTE FRAUD”

Why in the news?

  • The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has launched an audit of nearly 800 plastic-waste recyclers nationwide.
  • The move follows revelations that four firms in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat issued around 600,000 fake certificates under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programme.
source:produceinfo

About Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB):

  • Established: September 1974 under Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974; also oversees Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
  • Functions: Advises on water and air pollution control, provides technical services to the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change(MOEFCC).
  • Standards: Develops guidelines for air and water quality, emission norms, and waste disposal.
  • Categories: Includes air quality, water quality, industrial emissions, biomedical waste, vehicle emissions, and more.
Key points:Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

  • Producers manage plastic packaging throughout its lifecycle.
  • Introduced in India in 2011 under Plastic and E-Waste Rules.

New Guidelines:

  • Covers rigid, flexible, and multi-layered plastics.
  • EPR certificates for trade and collection.
  • Non-recyclable plastics can only be disposed of via CPCB-approved methods.

Key Government Initiatives to Curb Plastic Waste:

  • Swachh Bharat Mission: Aims to improve sanitation and waste management.
  • India Plastics Pact: Focuses on reducing plastic waste and promoting recycling.
  • Project REPLAN: Targets plastic waste reduction through recycling and repurposing.
  • Un-Plastic Collective: Works to eliminate single-use plastics.
  • GoLitter Partnerships Project: Encourages community-led plastic waste management and clean-up efforts.

Associated Article:

https://universalinstitutions.com/supreme-court-says-laws-have-teeth-but-pollution-control-boards-are-slack/