Single use plastic Ban

Govt. banned identified Single-Use Plastic Items from 1st July 2022

1 year ago

To curb pollution caused by littered and unmanaged plastic waste, Govt. of India decided to ban the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of identified single-use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential, all across the country from July 1, 2022.

Banning single-use plastic is in line with the clarion call given by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, to phase out single-use plastic items by 2022, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, on 12 August 2021.

The littered single-use plastic has an adverse effect on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The list of banned items includes -earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (Thermocol) for decoration, plastic plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners less than 100 micron, stirrers.

The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, also prohibit the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of plastic carry bags having a thickness less than seventy-five microns with effect from 30th September 2021, and having a thickness less than a thickness of one hundred and twenty microns with effect from the 31st December 2022.

According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the success of the ban will only be possible through effective engagement and concerted actions by all stakeholders and enthusiastic public participation.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has also notified the Guidelines on Extended Producers Responsibility on plastic packaging as Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2022 on 16th February 2022. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is the responsibility of a producer for the environmentally sound management of the product until the end of its life.

The Government of India for effective enforcement of the ban on identified SUP items from 1 July 2022, will set up national and state-level control rooms and special enforcement teams to check the illegal manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of banned single-use plastic items. Also, efforts are being made to promote innovation and to provide an ecosystem for accelerated penetration and availability of alternatives all across the country.

Seema Jain

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