New Delhi: In an attempt to address plastic waste, National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken cognisance of a petition on pollution caused by detachable plastic bottle caps, highlighting a major gap in India’s recycling chain.While PET bottles are routinely collected for recycling, caps often go uncollected and end up as environmental litter, NGT noted on Feb 20. The application pointed out that several countries had shifted to “tethered caps”, attached to the container, to ensure full recovery and processing along with the bottle. Such designs significantly reduce the risk of caps entering the environment as standalone waste, it contended.The applicant argued that detachable caps, once separated from bottles, frequently escaped the formal waste stream. Unlike bottles, which are covered under established collection and recycling systems, their smaller caps are more likely to be discarded improperly, contributing to plastic leakage into ecosystems.Taking note of the submissions, a bench led by NGT chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Afroz Ahmad, issued notices to Central Pollution Control Board and other respondents, including several beverage and mineral water companies and allied industries. The tribunal directed them to file their responses by e-filing affidavits before the next date of hearing on Feb 26. The matter was tagged with other ongoing cases relating to plastic waste management and the regulation of the extended producer responsibility regime, indicating that the issue may be examined within the broader framework of India’s plastic waste rules.
