Chandigarh, NOV 12: In a first-of-its-kind move in India, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has summoned 14 national and multinational brands identified as major contributors to hard-to-recycle plastic waste in the state.
The directive follows the Plastic Waste Brand Audit-2025, conducted across six cities—Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali, and Patiala—marking the country’s first state-level audit of its kind. The study analysed 6,991 kg of municipal waste, of which 613 kg was plastic, with nearly 88% found to be hard to recycle.
According to the PPCB, a total of 11,810 plastic packets were examined, and 14 brands accounted for almost 59% of the non-recyclable waste.
“No company will be allowed to pollute Punjab. We will fix accountability and clean up all our cities,” PPCB Chairperson Reena Gupta said. “We have given them one month to prepare their plans. Failing which penal action will be taken.”
The state pollution control body has directed the companies to present clear, time-bound strategies that encourage consumers to return post-use plastic packaging. Officials also warned that several producers were meeting their extended producer responsibility (EPR) obligations only “on paper,” either through unverifiable certificates or by shifting waste processing to other states.
