Question 1

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) solely holds municipal bodies responsible for plastic waste processing.

Accepted Answer

EPR explicitly shifts the responsibility from municipalities to the Producers, Importers, and Brand Owners (PIBOs) who introduce the plastic packaging into the market.

Question 2

All single-use plastics are completely banned in India under the Plastic Waste Management Rules.

Accepted Answer

Only 19 specific identified single-use plastic items (like plastic sticks, straws, and thin carry bags) were banned in 2022. Other plastic packaging (like beverage bottles and multi-layered wrappers) is permitted but heavily regulated through EPR targets.

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the Draft Plastic Waste Management (Second Amendment) Rules, 2025:
1. It allows Brand Owners to carry forward any shortfall in the mandatory use of recycled plastic in food contact applications for the year 2025-26 into the next three years.
2. The power to grant case-by-case exemptions for recycled plastic content obligations due to technical requirements is vested entirely in the NITI Aayog.
3. The reuse of Category-I rigid plastic packaging in food contact applications is permitted but subject to the regulations of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

(b) Only two — Statement 1 is correct; the draft introduces a 3-year carry-forward provision for shortfalls in 2025-26 for food contact applications. Statement 2 is incorrect; the exemption is granted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), not NITI Aayog. Statement 3 is correct; the rules explicitly align Category-I reuse with FSSAI standards. Therefore, only two statements are correct.

Question 4

Match the Categories of Plastic Packaging (List I) as per the Plastic Waste Management Rules with their correct description (List II):

List I:
A. Category I
B. Category II
C. Category III
D. Category IV

List II:
1. Flexible plastic packaging of single layer or multilayer
2. Plastic sheet used for packaging and carry bags made of compostable plastics
3. Rigid plastic packaging
4. Multilayered plastic packaging (at least one layer of plastic and one non-plastic layer)

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Accepted Answer

(a) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2 — Under the Plastic Waste Management guidelines: Category I is rigid plastic packaging (A-3). Category II is flexible plastic packaging of single or multilayer (B-1). Category III is multilayered plastic packaging with plastic and non-plastic layers (C-4). Category IV includes compostable plastics (D-2).

Question 5

Assertion (A): The Draft Plastic Waste Management (Second Amendment) Rules, 2025 introduce a provision allowing producers to carry forward their recycled plastic shortfall in food-contact packaging for 2025-26 to subsequent years.
Reason (R): The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has permanently banned the use of any recycled plastic in all food-contact applications to prevent chemical leaching.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

Accepted Answer

(c) A is true but R is false — Assertion (A) is true as the 2025 amendment specifically allows a three-year carry-forward for food-contact packaging shortfalls. Reason (R) is false because FSSAI has not permanently banned recycled plastic; rather, it permits its use provided the recycled material meets strict food-grade standards and regulatory approvals. The carry-forward was introduced because scaling up the infrastructure to meet these strict FSSAI standards takes time, not because of an absolute ban.

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