PepsiCo to collect back plastic waste generated by its products
RAMANATHAPURAM: In response to a notice served by Ramanathapuram municipal commissioner S Parthasarathy, PepsiCo India said that it would soon start collecting back the plastic waste generated by its products in Tamil Nadu. “According to the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules 2016, the companies like PepsiCo should collect back the plastic waste being generated by its brand items by itself or assign some third party to do so. “When they assign the civic body as their third party, they should have to pay the civic administrations to collect and process the plastic waste through Pyrolysis plant,” said, Parthasarathy.
“A few years ago, a shampoo manufacturing company had offered a shampoo packet for each ten empty packets that the consumers return,” said the commissioner, when asked how the companies could collect its waste after their products were sold to the end users. Apart from PepsiCo India, Parthasarathy, on June 26, had also written to Nestle India Pvt Ltd, Britannia Industries Limited, Aachi group and Sakthi masala.
“Our town is polluted by the waste generated by your brand items. It is your duty to dispose your brand waste without causing damage to the environment as per government rules. I direct you to submit your action plan regarding the disposal methods of waste generated by your products in 15 days. If you fail to comply to this notice, we will initiate action against your products,” said, Parthasarathy in his notice sent to these private companies.
As per the amended Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016, an entity having operations in two or more States requires to file for a centralised registration with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). “PepsiCo has filed its registration with CPCB on June 29. We wish to state that as part of our extended producers responsibility (EPR), we will commence collecting plastic waste back in Tamil Nadu,” said, T K J Sridharan, authority of PepsiCo India.
A Ilango, sanitary officer of the municipality, said that most of the private companies including Nestle had started registration process with CPCB after they received our letter and that the State and Central pollution control boards should spread awareness among the private companies about PWD rules and the collection of waste generated by them.