Question 1

EPR targets must be met entirely within the same financial year without exceptions.

Accepted Answer

The 2026 amendment explicitly allows unfulfilled recycled content targets for food contact applications to be carried forward for up to three consecutive years.

Question 2

The 3-year carry-forward relaxation applies to all categories of plastic packaging waste collection and recycling targets.

Accepted Answer

The relaxation is strictly limited to the mandate of using 'recycled content' specifically in 'food contact applications'.

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2026:
1. It allows Producers, Importers, and Brand Owners (PIBOs) to carry forward unfulfilled recycled content targets for all types of plastic packaging for up to three years.
2. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is mandated to issue audit and verification guidelines to curb fraudulent Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) reporting.
3. The amendment dilutes the national ban on specific single-use plastic items introduced in 2022 to assist MSMEs.
How many of the statements given above are correct?

Accepted Answer

(a) Only one — Statement 1 is incorrect because the carry-forward provision is strictly for 'food contact applications', not all types of plastic packaging. Statement 2 is correct as the rules mandate CPCB to issue strict audit guidelines within six months. Statement 3 is incorrect because the ban on single-use plastics remains completely unchanged and has not been diluted. Therefore, only Statement 2 is correct.

Question 4

Match List I (Regulatory Framework/Body) with List II (Key Feature/Mandate under Plastic Waste Management):
List I
A. PWM Rules, 2016
B. FSSAI
C. PWM (Amendment) Rules, 2026
D. CPCB

List II
1. Mandated to issue strict EPR audit guidelines within 6 months
2. Introduced the concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in India
3. Sets safety standards for the use of recycled plastics in food contact
4. Grants a 3-year carry forward for food-grade recycled content targets

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Accepted Answer

(a) A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1 — PWM Rules 2016 (A) introduced EPR for plastic packaging (2). FSSAI (B) regulates the safety standards for packaging in contact with food, which necessitates the current amendment (3). The PWM Amendment 2026 (C) introduces the 3-year carry forward (4). CPCB (D) is mandated by the new amendment to issue audit guidelines (1).

Question 5

Assertion (A): The Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2026 defers the stringent recycled content targets for plastic used in food contact applications.
Reason (R): India currently faces a deficit in adequate infrastructure and stringent safety approvals required to produce food-grade recycled polymers.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

Accepted Answer

(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. — Assertion (A) is true as the 2026 Amendment allows a three-year carry-forward for unfulfilled recycled content targets in food contact packaging. Reason (R) is also true and correctly explains (A). The deferment was granted precisely because using recycled plastic for food poses contamination risks, and India lacks sufficient FSSAI-approved recycling facilities to meet immediate mandatory targets.

Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2026 Notified

Passage of Industrial Relations Bill