• The Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2024 shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette. 

• The rule defines “biodegradable plastics” as materials capable of biological degradation in specific environments, such as soil or landfills, and that do not leave any microplastic residues.

• The points emphasized in the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2024 are:

1. The caveat about microplastics in the updated rules is that it does not mention which chemical tests can establish the absence of microplastics, or the limit of reduction of microplastics in a sample to consider them eliminated.

2. The amendment mentioned that carry bags and commodities manufactured shall be permitted to be made from compostable or biodegradable plastics.

3. This is subject to mandatory marking and labeling laid down under the rules and regulations of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for food contact applications.

4. The rules require manufacturers of compostable or biodegradable plastic commodities to obtain a CPCB certificate before marketing or selling.

• Every manufacturer of commodities made from plastic shall:

1. Ensure pre-consumer plastic waste processing, created from rejected or discarded products of manufacture and

2. Report to the concerned State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) or Pollution Control Committee, yearly.

• These rules aim to bring reforms in the way plastics are currently being handled.

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