NGT demands Centre respond to plastic packaging breaches by gutkha, pan masala and tobacco makers
Manufacturers ignored CPCB orders to end plastic packaging in 2021, prompting the tribunal to demand a government response ahead of a September hearing
Overview
- A bench led by Justice Prakash Shrivastava and member A Senthil Vel issued a notice on May 30 seeking the Centre’s reply on enforcing Plastic Waste Management Rules for these products
- The Central Pollution Control Board directed 25 gutkha, pan masala and tobacco producers in October 2021 to halt plastic sachets until they switched to environmentally sound alternatives
- Petitioners told the tribunal that firms flouted rules banning plastic materials such as vinyl acetate and chloride copolymers in their packaging
- Advocates also highlighted that manufacturers failed to meet Extended Producers’ Responsibility obligations for end-of-life disposal under the Plastic Waste Management Rules
- The next hearing is set for September 26, 2025, with respondents including the Union Environment Ministry, Delhi Pollution Control Committee and Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board