India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has published a new amend to the country’s Plastic Waste Management Rules, first introduced in 2016.
The amendment introduces new rules as of July 1, 2025. It adds a sub-rule to the rules on marking and labelling, requiring producers, importers, or brand owners to provide the information under rule 11.1 in new mediums. In particular, either (a) in a barcode or quick response (QR) code printed on the plastic packaging; (b) in the product information brochure; or (c) as a unique number displayed on-pack provided all provisions of rule 11 are fulfilled.
Rule 11 mandates that plastic carrier bags and multilayer packaging carry information on the name and registration number of the manufacturer, which is a number generated by the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) centralised online portal. Carrier bags must also carry information on their thickness. This latter rule excludes carrier bags made from compostable plastics, which must instead comply with the Indian Standard IS 17088:2008 and obtain a certificate from the CPCB.
Producers, importers, and brand owners are required to notify the CPCB of the methods used to label their packaging. The CPCB will compile the information in a list on its website, which should be updated quarterly.
The 2025 update to the Plastic Waste Management Rules also introduces provisions for penalties.
Rule 19 introduces a penalty for non-compliant individuals or organisations in line with section 15 of the Environment Protection Act. Potential sanctions include an initial fine, an additional fine that increases for every day the violation continues, and potential jail time for serious or continuing violations.
The new rules are intended to facilitate the tracking of plastic waste in India and to make industry players responsible for the environmental impact of their products, in line with the country’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme.
India’s EPR was introduced in 2016 and came into force in 2022. It requires producers to set up effective collection and recycling systems for their plastic products. With the introduction of the new labelling requirements, it will be easier to track and enforce compliance.