CPCB Issues Notice To Flipkart, Patanjali For Flouting Environmental Norms

After submitting a report before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued show cause notices to Flipkart and Patanjali Peya for the closure of their operation and levying environment compensation.

In the report, CPCB said on October 8 that the closure notices have been issued under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The two companies have been asked to shut down operations and pay environment compensation for non-compliance of provisions of Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2018. The news was first reported by PTI.

CPCB said, “These companies were issued show cause notices as they have not provided information for evidence-based assessment of the implementation of an action plan for fulfilment of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) liability.”

This development comes after the tribunal’s latest direction wherein the CPCB was asked to take necessary steps and file an action-taken report against ecommerce companies that use excess plastic for packaging material.

NGT had already expressed its displeasure after hearing a petition filed by sixteen-year-old Aditya Dubey in 2019 alleging that the excessive use of single-use plastic packaging material has posed a serious challenge to the environment.

CPCP has further mentioned in the report that four firms Hindustan Coca-cola Beverages Pvt Ltd, Pepsico India Holding Pvt Ltd, Bisleri International Pvt Ltd, and Ms NourishCo Beverages Ltd have been granted registration by CPCB. 

In 2019, the central government had pushed for a ban on all single-use plastic to protect the environment. The commerce and industry ministry had advised ecommerce companies to gradually slash single-use plastic in the packaging of products. The ecommerce companies had been reportedly asked to discard plastic used in packaging, which accounts for more than 40% of non-fibre plastic.

The Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) had also urged the companies to develop sustainable packaging material to reduce India’s plastic footprint. At the time, both Flipkart and Amazon shared their initiatives and successes in banning single-use plastic.

Earlier, Flipkart had said that the company is committed to eliminating single-use plastic in packaging by March 2021. The company believes that by eliminating plastic in their packaging will also “significantly” help in the preservation of the environment.