India's Plastic Plastic Management Rules 2016 introduced the notion of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging garbage, which places the onus on brand owners to fund, collect, segregate, and treat plastic waste.

The most recent rule change also imposes a progressive duty on brand owners to reuse, refill, and employ recycled content.

Landbell Group, a leading provider of environmental and chemical compliance solutions, has established a partnership with GreenForest Solutions, a sister company of BlackForest Solutions, one of Europe's fastest-growing waste management consultant firms, to serve brands in India.Landbell GreenForest Solutions Private is a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) that provides India's brands with best-in-class EPR services for plastic packaging waste.

Landbell GFS provides a fully transparent and traceable EPR service for packaging waste to brands in India, drawing on the JV partners' total expertise and global best practises. In addition to EPR services, Landbell GFS offers value-added services to assist brands in moving toward waste minimization and government support in implementing EPR:

- Recyclability services - The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change's (MOEFCC) draught EPR legislation requires brands to implement reuse, recycling, and recycled material in a phased way over a short period of time. Landbell GFS offers recyclability advising services to companies, taking a deep dive into their business model, supply chain, business processes, and use of alternative materials, all with the objective of helping brands better comply with the rule.

- Government advisory services - With the implementation of the EPR regulation, state governments will have a greater role to play. All players in the plastic waste value chain are anticipated to have their own registries, which will be maintained by state governments. Landbell GFS provides government advising services, assisting them in implementing the EPR regulation in their respective states.

Landbell Group's Head of Global Alliances, Christophe Pautrat, stated, "the new plastic waste EPR regulations are a game changer for producers, with new obligations and ambitious targets. With our proven track record and innovative solutions, we are thrilled to start our operations in India at the perfect time to guide all producers on their journey towards zero waste."

According to Sebastian Frisch, a partner of GreenForest Solutions, "India is leading the current EPR implementation in Asia. With Landbell GFS, we are now bringing 20+ years of international EPR experience into the market - combined with a holistic sustainability approach that includes solutions for packaging design, sourcing, and closed-loop applications of recycled plastics.We are proud that our PRO can play a role to develop a modern recycling infrastructure in India thatalso attracts investors, as envisioned by the Indian government when imposing an EPR regulation forthe country."

Saurabh Shah, Managing Director, Landbell GFS, said, "in the past decade, India has made significant strides in the right direction to tackle waste. The combination of fresh laws and a strong intent will be a catalyst for brands seeking professional services to meet their committed targets for  reuse, recycling and use of recycled content as a part of overall EPR strategy and corporate reputation."