FSSAI permits to 17 PET plants to unlock 3 lakh tonne capacity for India's circular packaging
New Delhi, March 16
Industry body Association of PET Recyclers Bharat on Monday welcomed FSSAI's grant of final authorisations to 17 recycled PET manufacturing plants, which will strengthen India's packaging supply chain.
The government's move will unlock about 3 lakh tonne per annum of food‑grade r‑PET capacity to help meet the government's mandate of 40 per cent recycled content by 2026‑27, the statement from APR Bharat said.
The approvals create a combined FSSAI-authorised capacity to produce 3 lakh metric tonnes of r-PET a year to supply food‑contact packaging for India's beverage and bottling industry, the statement added.
The association noted the move comes at an opportune moment when virgin PET markets face global pressures amid the Iran‑Israel war and geopolitical uncertainty.
The move also aligns with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of building a circular economy, said Goutham Jain, Director General, APR Bharat.
Plastic waste Management Rules 2016 mandated the use of 30 per cent recycled content in rigid plastic packaging effective from 2025-26 with gradual increase of 10 per cent every year until 60 per cent in 2028-29 and onwards.
The industry body highlighted that aligned with this mandate, 15-18 food‑grade r‑PET recycling facilities were established across the country at an estimated investment of Rs 9,000-10,000 crore.
These companies have adopted state-of-art technology and set up their factories adhering to standards approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) had, in September 2021, allowed use of r-PET as a food contact material. In June 2025, the ministry allowed brands and producers to carry forward shortfalls in meeting the 30 per cent r-PET target for food contact applications for 2025-26 over the next three years.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally some concrete action on plastic waste! The 40% recycled content mandate by 2026-27 is ambitious but necessary. My only concern is the enforcement - will small vendors and local brands actually comply? Hope FSSAI keeps a strict check.
Great move for the circular economy. Reducing reliance on virgin PET is crucial, especially with global supply chain issues mentioned. This should also create many green jobs in recycling and manufacturing. A win for both environment and economy.
Investing Rs 9,000-10,000 crore shows serious commitment. Using European and US-approved tech is reassuring for safety. As a consumer, I'm more likely to buy products in recycled packaging now. Hope the price doesn't increase too much for us.
While this is positive, I have a respectful criticism. The article mentions the 2025-26 target shortfall can be carried forward for three years. This seems like a loophole that might let companies delay real action. Strict timelines are needed.
This is what Swachh Bharat should look like! Turning our plastic waste problem into a resource. My housing society has started segregation, and it feels good to know our bottles might come back as new food-grade packaging. More awareness needed at local level.
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