PROGIRS: what it is, who it applies to, and how to join step by step

What is PROGIRS and why does it exist?

PROGIRS stands for Programa de Gestión Integral de Residuos Sólidos (Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Program). It was created under Law 225-20, the Dominican regulation that governs the handling of single-use plastics and establishes the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). In simple terms, that principle states that whoever places a plastic product on the market—manufacturer, importer, or distributor—is responsible for what happens to that product once the consumer discards it.

Before this law, the burden of waste management fell almost entirely on municipalities and the State. PROGIRS shifts part of that responsibility to the private sector, requiring companies to finance or actively participate in systems for collecting, sorting, and recovering the materials they themselves introduce to the market.

The program does not prohibit producing or importing plastics—at least not in all cases—; what it requires is that a concrete and verifiable plan exist to recover those materials at the end of their useful life.

Which companies does the law apply to?

The obligation falls on any company that, within Dominican territory, carries out any of the following activities:

• Producing containers, packaging, or products made from single-use plastic.
• Importing products packaged in plastic for sale in the country.
• Distributing or marketing goods in plastic packaging, including polyethylene bags.
• Operating in sectors where single-use plastic is a core part of the business: food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, agroindustry, retail, and general commerce.

The law does not distinguish by company size in its base text, although the regulations have progressively defined volume thresholds to determine the category of obligated party. If your company places bags, bottles, caps, trays, or any plastic packaging in the hands of Dominican consumers, it is very likely that you fall within the scope of PROGIRS.

One point that causes confusion: the regulation also applies to foreign companies that import directly. If goods enter the country with your name or RNC as the registered importer, the responsibility is yours, not the foreign manufacturer's.

What does joining PROGIRS actually mean?

Joining means committing to a waste management system that meets the recovery targets set by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. In practice, there are two pathways:

• Individual system: the company designs, finances, and operates its own collection and recovery plan. This is viable for large generators with administrative and logistical capacity.
• Collective system: several companies join a shared scheme—known in other countries as a Producer Responsibility Organization—to jointly finance collection and treatment. This is the most common pathway for small and medium-sized companies because it distributes costs.

In both cases, the company must register with the environmental authority, report the volumes of plastic it places on the market, and demonstrate that a percentage of those materials is being effectively recovered and reincorporated or valorized. Reports are periodic and must be supported by traceable documentation: weight tickets, transport manifests, and certificates from recyclers or valorizers.

Concrete steps to join without disrupting operations

1. Take an inventory of your plastic materials

Before speaking with any authority or waste manager, you need to know exactly what types of plastic you use, in approximately what volume, and at what stage of the process—primary packaging, secondary packaging, point-of-sale bags, etc. That information is the foundation of any declaration you will have to submit.

2. Identify your obligated category

Contact the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources or consult its portal to verify whether your company falls into the category of large, medium, or small generator. This determines the level of reporting and the recovery targets you must meet.

3. Choose between an individual or collective system

If your volume is high and you have internal infrastructure, the individual system may give you more control. If not, look for collective schemes already operating in your sector. Industry associations and chambers of commerce are usually the first point of contact for finding such schemes.

4. Establish agreements with certified waste managers

The management plan must include who will collect the waste and who will process it. The waste managers, transporters, and valorizers involved in the chain must be authorized by the Ministry. Working with non-certified operators does not count toward recovery targets—and can result in additional penalties.

5. Register the plan and await approval

Once you have the plan documented—type of material, estimated volume, waste managers involved, recovery targets—submit it to the environmental authority for review and formal approval. Do not launch the system without that endorsement: documentation is part of the proof of compliance.

6. Implement the traceability system from day one

Keep all records: waste delivery manifests, weight tickets, certificates issued by the valorizer or recycler. That documentation is what the company presents in periodic reports. Without it, compliance cannot be verified, even if the plastic is actually being recovered.

What happens if a company does not comply?

Law 225-20 and its regulations establish a penalty regime ranging from financial fines to the suspension of operating permits. Fines are calculated based on the nature of the violation and the volume of unmanaged material. In addition, non-compliant companies are exposed to observations in environmental audits that can affect contracts with the public sector or with corporate clients that require environmental traceability from their suppliers.

A common mistake is assuming that the absence of active enforcement is equivalent to official tolerance. The trend in the Dominican Republic, aligned with international commitments to reduce plastic waste, is toward progressively stricter enforcement. Companies that act early have room to adjust without pressure; those that wait for enforcement do so under less favorable conditions.

What companies find most confusing

Are the bags I already have in inventory prohibited? The law established a phased schedule for prohibiting the free distribution of plastic bags. If your company still has stock, consult directly with the Ministry about the status of your specific case, as the dates and exceptions have been updated.

Is PROGIRS the same as paying a tax? No. PROGIRS is a management system, not a tax. The company does not pay the State; rather, it finances—directly or through a collective scheme—the logistics of recovering its own waste.

Are recyclable products already exempt? Not automatically. The fact that a material is technically recyclable does not exempt a company from the obligation. What matters is that an active and verifiable system exists that effectively recovers that material in the Dominican market.

How a recycling company can help you in this process

A central part of any PROGIRS plan is demonstrating that plastic waste is actually being recovered and reincorporated into the production cycle. That is where the role of plastic valorizers comes in: they are the link that closes the loop, converts waste into secondary raw material, and issues the documentation that supports the generating company's compliance.

At Scrapmen Recycling Group we work with companies that need that link: we purchase, process, and valorize post-industrial and post-consumer plastic waste, and we can be part of the management system your company presents to the Ministry of Environment. If you are in the process of putting together your plan or are looking for a certified waste manager to work with, you can contact us to assess whether your type of material and volume align with our operation.

Frequently asked questions

Is a small company also required to join PROGIRS?

The obligation arises from the type of activity—producing, importing, or distributing plastics—not exclusively from the size of the company. However, the regulations establish categories that may determine the level of reporting requirements and recovery targets. The recommended course of action is to consult directly with the Ministry of Environment to confirm which category your company falls into and what your specific obligations are.

What documents do I need to demonstrate compliance with PROGIRS?

Compliance is demonstrated primarily through records of waste delivery to authorized managers: transport manifests, weight tickets, and certificates issued by the valorizer or recycler that receives the material. The management plan approved by the environmental authority also forms part of the file. Without that documentary chain, the recovery system cannot be verified in the event of an audit.

Can I join PROGIRS at any time, or are there deadlines?

The law established a phased implementation schedule, and companies that have already passed their entry-into-force date are technically in non-compliance if they have not yet joined. That does not mean it is too late to regularize the situation, but it does mean that acting promptly is advisable: the sooner the plan is formalized, the lower the exposure to penalties and the more time there is to adjust the system before the first audit.