Indore MC to be the first urban body to get EPR credit

The Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) has made history by becoming the first urban body in the country to receive Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) credit for recycling banned single-use plastic items. Indore has implemented a complete ban on single-use plastic items within the city. In recent times, the IMC seized approximately eight tonnes of such plastic, preventing its circulation. Moreover, Indore has also been recognised as India’s cleanest city for the sixth consecutive year in the central government’s annual cleanliness survey.EPR is an environmental policy approach in which a producer’s responsibility for a product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle. Indore’s EPR credit, amounts to Rs 8,100, acknowledging the IMC’s commitment to responsible waste management and sustainable practices. To address the challenge of recycling the seized plastic, the IMC established a recycling plant operating under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. This facility has been instrumental in converting the seized plastic waste into reusable materials, reducing the burden on landfills and promoting a circular economy.Indore faces the daily challenge of managing a substantial amount of solid waste, with an average of 1,162 tonnes generated each day. This includes approximately 164 tonnes of plastic waste. However, the IMC has implemented an efficient waste collection system, where waste is categorized and collected from every doorstep in the city using civic vehicles. The collected waste is then promptly disposed of at the recycling plant, ensuring the city remains clean and environmentally sustainable.