Plastic Waste Management in Fertilizer Sector—A Case Study

India is the second largest consumer of fertilizers in the world. There was consumption of about 64 million tonnes of fertilizer products in 2022–23. Most of the material is sold in HDPE or polypropylene bags in sizes of 50 and 45 kg. These bags are of high strength meeting the relevant BIS standard to withstand multiple handling, transport and storage in the distribution chain from the factory or port to the doorstep of farmers. According to one estimate, around 150 thousand tonnes of plastic packaging is used every year. The fertilizer companies are treated as brand owners and have to abide by the Guidelines on Extended Producers Responsibility for Plastic Packaging under Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 as amended from time to time. The used fertilizer bags find multiple applications in rural and semi-urban areas and hence play an important role in the rural economy. The chapter gives the life cycle of fertilizer bags and practices adopted by the fertilizer companies for compliance with Plastic Management Rules 2016 and guidelines issued under Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2022.