<span style="color: #222222;">Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry has notified the Guidelines on Extended Producers Responsibility on plastic packaging under Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. The rule mandates to take steps to minimize generation of plastic waste, not to litter the plastic waste, ensure segregated storage of waste at source and hand over segregated waste.<br />''<br />''The rules also mandates the responsibilities of local bodies, gram panchayats, waste generators, retailers and street vendors to manage plastic waste.<br />''<br />''Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav said, taking forward the clarion call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to eliminate single-use plastics, government has notified comprehensive Guidelines on Extended Producers Responsibility on plastic packaging.<br />''<br />''He said, the guidelines not only provide a framework to strengthen the circular economy of plastic packaging waste, but also promote development of new alternatives to plastics.<br />''<br />''The guidelines will give a boost for formalization and further development of plastic waste management sector. They allow for sale and purchase of surplus extended producer responsibility certificates, thus setting up a market mechanism for plastic waste management.</span><br />