India’s APR Bharat pushes for enforcement of rPET content mandate; industry on verge of collapsing

India’s Association of PET Recyclers of Bharat (APR Bharat) is urging the government to enforce the mandatory recycled content requirement under Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules and ensure time-bound compliance by brands with regular monitoring and reporting mechanisms. It adds that the continued delay in implementing it is harming the livelihood of the rag picker community.

“Over 2 million people from the rag picker community, who form the backbone of India’s post-consumer PET collection, are facing livelihood challenges, due to the delay in enforcing the recycled content mandate which was to come into effect from April 1, 2025, as per the PWM Rules," said Goutham Jain, Director General, APR Bharat.

Jain added that the demand for rPET has collapsed resulting in a steep drop in prices, making it unviable for rag pickers to earn even basic daily wages.

APR said the PWM (Amendment) Rules, 2022, had mandated progressive use of recycled plastic content in Category-1 rigid packaging, including beverage-grade PET bottles.

However, compliance has been delayed by brand owners, leading to stagnation in the recycling value chain and distress across the supply chain, it said.

At the same time, India’s PET recycling industry, in anticipation of the mandate, has invested heavily in food-grade rPET infrastructure, creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs, while ensuring full compliance with quality and safety standards (including FSSAI certifications). But these are facing potential shutdowns, due to the lack of demand from brands that were mandated to use 30% recycled content in their bottles.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had, in a Gazette notification issued in June, said in case of ‘Use of recycled plastic content in plastic packaging used in food contact applications’ the brand owner may be allowed to carry forward any shortfall in fulfilment of mandatory use of recycled plastic in plastic packaging, for the year 2025-26, for a period of three years starting from 2026-27, over and above the target mandated for those years.”

"APR Bharat has appealed to the central government to enforce the recycled content mandate immediately, ensure time-bound brand compliance, and implement robust monitoring mechanisms," the association said in a release.

Jain further said stabilising the rPET market will protect both informal waste workers and recycling units, safeguard industrial investments, and restore confidence in India's regulatory framework.

APR Bharat is a coalition of companies in India dedicated to the responsible recycling of PET materials. Its mission is to champion PET recycling, foster a circular economy, educate the public on recycling, and collaborate with businesses, among other objectives.

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