The Government of India has issued the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2026, bringing clarity on how recycled plastic norms apply to sectors such as pesticides. Under the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules effective from 31 March 2026, pesticide packaging is exempted from mandatory recycled content targets if existing laws or standards prohibit the use of recycled plastic for such products.

Before this amendment, plastic waste rules required companies to use a fixed percentage of recycled plastic in packaging, while pesticide packaging, regulated by the Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee, generally requires virgin plastic to meet safety and stability standards.

This created a regulatory conflict, as companies were expected to use recycled material but were not permitted to do so under pesticide regulations. The 2026 amendment resolves this by clarifying that recycled plastic requirements will not apply where other laws prohibit such use, effectively exempting pesticide packaging and removing the overlap between environmental mandates and safety requirements.

This is expected to ease compliance concerns for the crop protection industry while ensuring safety standards are maintained.

The exemption applies specifically when statutory bodies—such as the Central Insecticide Board—prohibit the use of recycled plastic in packaging due to safety or chemical stability concerns. Similar exemptions apply to food contact (FSSAI) and pharmaceutical (CDSCO) packaging.

Brands claiming this exemption must explicitly declare the relevant law or Indian Standard (IS) in their annual returns on the CPCB's centralized online portal.

Durgesh Chandra, Secretary General, CropLife India said, “CropLife India welcomes the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s notification Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2026 for exempting the pesticides industry from the mandatory use of recycled plastic in plastic packaging. This clarification brings much-needed regulatory alignment, recognising that such packaging is already governed by existing rules & regulations under Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee.

As per the notification, the mandatory use of recycled plastic in plastic packaging category-wise shall not be applicable where use of recycled plastic in plastic packaging is not permitted, under a law or regulation or rule notified by the Government or Government Body such as Central Insecticide Board.

We appreciate the Government’s continued commitment to Ease of Doing Business and are encouraged that our longstanding representations on this issue have been duly considered. CropLife India had consistently advocated for this relief and this decision comes as a significant boost for the entire pesticide industry. The move will help ensure both environmental responsibility and the safe handling of crop protection products.”