India raises recycled-content mandate for rigid plastic packaging to 60% by FY29
India's Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2026 turn recycled-content targets into binding obligations: producers, importers and brand owners must put at least 30% recycled plastic into rigid packs such as PET and HDPE bottles and jars in FY26, with the threshold rising ten points a year to 60% by FY29. Flexible packaging targets double to 20% and multi-layer packaging to 10% over the same period, while shortfalls may be carried forward over three years provided at least a third is cleared each year. Gujarat recyclers including JB rPET, Chemco and Deluxe Recycling are already adding rPET and multi-layer capacity.
Why this mattersMandated recycled content above half of each rigid pack redirects a substantial slice of India's 1.56mt annual PET-chip demand from virgin resin producers to recyclers.
- Rigid packaging recycled-content mandate rises from 30% in FY26 to 60% by FY29, up ten percentage points annually under the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2026.
- Flexible packaging target doubles from 10% to 20%; multi-layer packaging target doubles from 5% to 10% over the same period.
- The 2026 amendment allows compliance shortfalls to be carried forward over three years, provided at least a third is cleared each year.
- India consumed 1.56 million tonnes of PET chips in FY25, with 97% produced domestically.
- JB rPET's Surat plant is rated at 58,000 tonnes/year; Deluxe Recycling doubled multi-layer recycling capacity to 27,400 tonnes/year with a new Sarigam plant.
- Chemco opened a new PET recycling plant in Gujarat in January 2026.