Madras High Court Directs Stakeholders to Tackle Plastic Waste in Western Ghats

In a move to address the issue of harmful plastic waste in the Western Ghats, the Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to convene a meeting with all stakeholders, including brand owners who sell eatables, drinking water, and other products in plastic packets, sachets, and PET bottles.

The special Division Bench of the court, which was constituted to hear forest-related cases, has instructed the Environment, Climate Change and Forest Department secretary to hold the meeting by November 14, 2025 and submit a status report by November 21. The judges have made it clear that the chairperson of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board must attend the meeting, and officials from other relevant government departments can also be invited.

The court has reminded the brand owners of their responsibilities under the Plastic Waste Management Rules of 2016, stating that the most ideal solution would be for them to come up with innovative ways of distributing their products in the Western Ghats without using plastic packaging. Alternatively, the judges have suggested that shopkeepers in the Nilgiris, Kodaikanal, and other places along the Western Ghats could be instructed to transfer the contents from plastic packets and sachets into disposable paper or butter paper packaging before handing them over to customers. The brand owners could then collect the used plastic packages from the shopkeepers and recycle them to the satisfaction of the pollution control board.

The court has emphasized that it is the primary responsibility of the brand owners to ensure the safe disposal of plastic waste, and has given them an opportunity to express their views and come up with modalities during the upcoming meeting, so that any consensus or scheme can be implemented as soon as possible.