What are the recycled-content and QR code traceability rules I need to hit in 2025-2026?
The short answer
Since July 2025, all plastic packaging in India needs a QR code or barcode for traceability, and recycled-content targets are now year-wise and category-specific, rigid (Category I) packaging needs 30% recycled plastic in 2025-26, climbing toward 60% by 2028-29, with penalties for missing targets. If you use recycled or compostable plastic and want to say so, the label has to reference the actual IS standard (IS 14534:2023 for recycled content, IS/ISO 17088:2021 for compostables), a vague 'made from recycled plastic' claim without the standard reference is itself a compliance gap now, not just a marketing nicety. Numbers and targets change year to year, so confirm the live schedule before you commit packaging orders.
A quick summary to orient you. The real value is below: the resources worth your time, from people who've actually done it, not us.
Here are the resources
Hand-picked from around the web, each with a note on why it earns your time. India-specific ones carry a badge.
3 resources3 India-specific3 link-checked
Read
📄 Article
✓ Link checkedIndiaFreeIntermediate
Why we picked it
The clearest explainer we found on the July 2025 QR-code/barcode traceability mandate and digital reporting requirements, a rule change that directly affects your packaging artwork, not just back-office filings.
Why we picked it
A concise, policy-accurate summary of the rule changes without the sales pitch that compliance-consultancy blogs tend to carry, good for getting the regulatory facts straight before you talk to a filing agency.
Why we picked it
Covers the newer revised targets and category changes for 2026 rather than just repeating the 2022 rules, useful for founders who registered a while ago and need to know what's changed.
