'New rules for safe disposal of sanitary napkins, diapers'

The new solid waste management rules, notified last month, provides for safe disposal of used sanitary napkins and diapers, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said today.
"Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has comprehensively revised the Solid Waste Management rules in April, 2016 in supersession of the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, after 16 years.
"These rules make it obligatory for the manufacturers, brand owners or marketing companies of sanitary napkins and diapers to provide a pouch or wrapper for safe disposal of used sanitary napkin or diapers along with the package sanitary products," Javadekar said in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.

These rules also mandate that all the manufacturers, brand owners or marketing companies should undertake public awareness measures for diposal of used napkins and diapers in prescribed manner.
"The Solid Waste Management Rules empower the local authorities to prescribe and collect user fee as deemed appropriate from all waste generators including bulk waste generators and levy spot fine for littering, non-segregation or failing to comply with other provisions of SWM Rules, 2016, by suitable framing local bye-laws," he said.