Two sets of rules decide what goes into a pack sold in India and what goes on it. The Plastic Waste Management Rules set how much recycled plastic the packaging must contain and how much of it the brand must take back. The Legal Metrology rules set what the label must say. Both changed in 2026.
Food labels also follow FSSAI rules, which are not covered here.
Plastic packaging: who is covered
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic packaging applies to three groups:
- Producers: businesses that make plastic packaging or packaging material.
- Importers: of plastic packaging, or of products that come in it.
- Brand owners: businesses that sell products in plastic packaging under their own name. Online marketplaces and supermarket and retail chains count, unless they are micro or small enterprises.
Each must register on the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) portal, and may not buy from or sell to an unregistered business. A company may need more than one registration, for example for units in different states.
What the March 2026 amendment changed
The Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2026 were notified on 31 March 2026 and took effect the same day.
- Importers: recycled plastic already in imported material does not count towards the target. An importer meets its share by buying certificates from businesses that beat their own target. CPCB is to run an exchange for these certificates; at the time of writing we could not find it live.
- A new reuse target: brand owners using rigid containers of 4.9 litres or kilograms and above, for products other than drinking water, must reuse 10% of them, rising to 15% from FY 2027-28.
- A standard for recycled packaging: it must meet IS 14534:2023 and carry a recycled-content label. Food-contact packaging must also meet FSSAI's marking rules.
- Food-contact relief: a shortfall in recycled content in food-contact packaging for FY 2025-26 can be made up over the next three years, clearing at least a third each year.
- Auditors and enforcement: registered environment auditors can now verify EPR claims, and urban local bodies and panchayats can enforce the rules. CPCB was given six months to issue audit guidelines; at the time of writing we could not find them published.
The targets for FY 2026-27
The recycled-content targets first appeared in the 2022 EPR guidelines, and the 2026 amendment kept them. This year is the step up for rigid packaging.
- Recycled 30%
- Virgin 70%
- Recycled 40%
- Virgin 60%
- Recycled 50%
- Virgin 50%
- Recycled 60%
- Virgin 40%
Share of rigid plastic packaging (Category I) that must be recycled plastic, for producers, importers and brand owners.
| Packaging category | FY 2025-26 | FY 2026-27 | FY 2027-28 | FY 2028-29 on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I. Rigid | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% |
| II. Flexible, including sachets, pouches and carry bags | 10% | 10% | 20% | 20% |
| III. Multilayered | 5% | 5% | 10% | 10% |
For multilayered packaging, the target counts only the weight of the plastic layers. The target does not apply where another law or standard, such as an FSSAI or CDSCO rule, does not allow recycled plastic. You must file that rule with your annual return.
Brand owners using rigid packaging also have reuse targets:
| Rigid container size | FY 2025-26 | FY 2026-27 | FY 2027-28 | FY 2028-29 on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.9 to under 4.9 litres or kg | 10% | 15% | 20% | 25% |
| 4.9 litres or kg and above, drinking water | 70% | 75% | 80% | 85% |
| 4.9 litres or kg and above, other products (new) | 10% | 10% | 15% | 15% |
Separately, a rising share of each EPR target must be met by recycling rather than by energy recovery or other end-of-life disposal. For FY 2026-27 that share is 70% for rigid and compostable packaging and 50% for flexible and multilayered.
Returns and penalties
The annual EPR return is due by 30 June for the previous financial year. Check the CPCB portal before you file, in case the date has been extended.
A missed target draws Environmental Compensation. CPCB levies it on companies operating in more than two states, and the state pollution control board on the rest. Paying it does not cancel the target. The shortfall carries forward for three years, and part of the money comes back if you make it up: 75% within one year, 60% within two and 40% within three.
Labels: the Legal Metrology changes
Every pre-packed product sold in India must declare the maker and packer, the importer and country of origin for imports, the generic name, net quantity, month and year of manufacture, a best-before date where relevant, the MRP inclusive of all taxes, the unit sale price and a contact for consumer complaints. E-commerce sites must show the same declarations on each listing, except the manufacturing date.
Four things changed in 2026.
Penalties. The Jan Vishwas Act, 2026 rewrote the penalty for packs that do not match the declarations the law requires, with effect from 1 May 2026. A first offence now gets an improvement notice instead of a fine. A second can draw a penalty of up to ₹5 lakh, and later offences a fine of ₹25 lakh to ₹50 lakh. The section now names sales through e-commerce platforms and online marketplaces.
Importers. Since 29 May 2026, importers with Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Tier 2 or Tier 3 status may add the declarations in bonded warehouses, as long as every retail pack is labelled before it leaves. Importer registrations now stay valid until cancelled, but the details must be updated every year and must name the director responsible.
Cosmetics and toiletries. A September 2026 amendment restated the rule for soap, shampoo, toothpaste and other cosmetics: a green dot for vegetarian origin, or a red or brown dot for non-vegetarian, at the top of the main display panel.
Online listings, from July 2027. E-commerce sites selling imported products must let shoppers filter and sort them by country of origin from 1 July 2027. An earlier notification had set July 2026.
- 31 Mar 2026Plastic packaging amendmentIn force
Importer rules, a new reuse target and a standard for recycled packaging.
- 1 Apr 2026FY 2026-27 targets applyIn force
Rigid packaging must contain 40% recycled plastic.
- 1 May 2026New Legal Metrology penaltiesIn force
Improvement notice first, then up to ₹5 lakh, then ₹25 to 50 lakh.
- 29 May 2026Importer labellingIn force
AEO Tier 2 and 3 importers may label in bonded warehouses.
- 31 Mar 2027FY 2026-27 closesComing
Recycled-content, reuse and recycling targets for the year are measured.
- 1 Jul 2027Country-of-origin filterComing
E-commerce sites must let shoppers filter imported products by origin.
What to check before 31 March 2027
- 1Confirm your role
Producer, importer or brand owner, and whether each registration on the CPCB portal is current.
- 2Weigh your packaging
Split this year's plastic by category: rigid, flexible, multilayered and compostable.
- 3Check recycled content
Confirm with suppliers that rigid packs reach 40% and that the material meets IS 14534:2023.
- 4Keep exemptions ready
Where FSSAI or another rule bars recycled plastic, keep that rule ready to file with the return.
- 5Check your recyclers
Buy certificates only from registered processors, and check the recycling share meets the minimum.
- 6File last year's return
For FY 2025-26, and confirm the current deadline on the portal.
- 7Audit labels and listings
Every product, on the pack and on each online listing, against the required declarations.
- 8Check imported packs
Every retail pack must carry the declarations before it is sold. Only AEO Tier 2 and 3 importers may label in bonded warehouses.
Where companies get caught out
Thinking EPR is only for manufacturers. Importers and brand owners carry targets too, and so do marketplaces and large retail chains.
Counting recycled plastic in imported packs. It does not count towards an importer's target.
Treating the improvement notice as harmless. It is a warning. The next offence can cost ₹5 lakh, and the one after at least ₹25 lakh.
Fixing the pack but not the listing. Online listings must carry the same declarations as the pack.
Sources
- Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 237(E), 31 March 2026), CPCB
- Guidelines on Extended Producer Responsibility for plastic packaging, 2022 (G.S.R. 133(E)), MoEFCC
- Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2024 (G.S.R. 201(E)), MoEFCC
- Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026, PRS India
- Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Second Amendment Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 312(E), 27 April 2026), Gazette of India
- Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Third Amendment Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 418(E), 29 May 2026), Gazette of India
- Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Fourth Amendment Rules, 2026 (G.S.R. 826(E), 21 September 2026), Gazette of India
