India on Tuesday banned single-use plastic items from July 1, 2022, in line with the clarion call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to phase out single-use plastic items by 2022.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, on August 12, 2021.
Carrying forward the spirit of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsava’, a defining step to curb pollution caused by littered and unmanaged plastic waste is being taken by the country.
India will 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.
Adverse impacts of single-use plastic items
The adverse impacts of littered single-use plastic items on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, including in the marine environment, are globally recognized.
Addressing pollution due to single-use plastic items has become an important environmental challenge confronting all countries.
In the 4th United Nations Environment Assembly held in 2019, India piloted a resolution on addressing single-use plastic product pollution, recognizing the urgent need for the global community to focus on this very important issue.
The adoption of this resolution at UNEA 4 was a significant step. In the recently concluded 5th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in March 2022, India engaged constructively with all member states to develop a consensus on the resolution for driving global action on plastic pollution.
The Government of India has taken resolute steps to mitigate pollution caused by single-use plastics.
What are the banned plastic Items?
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 of fewer than seventy-five microns with effect from September 30th, 2021, and having a thickness less than the thickness of one hundred and twenty microns with effect from the 31st December 2022.
Extended Producer Responsibility
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 February 16, 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 Guidelines will provide a framework to strengthen the circular economy of plastic packaging waste, promote the development of new alternatives to plastic packaging and provide the next steps for moving towards sustainable plastic packaging by businesses.
Capacity building workshops are being organized for MSME units to provide them with technical assistance for manufacturing alternatives to banned single-use plastic items with the involvement of CPCB/SPCBs/PCCs along with the Ministry of Small Micro and Medium Enterprises and the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering (CIPET) and their state centers. Provisions have also been made to support such enterprises in transitioning away from banned single-use plastics.
The Government of India has also taken steps to promote innovation and provide an ecosystem for accelerated penetration and availability of alternatives all across the country.
For effective enforcement of the ban on identified SUP items from 1, 2022, national and state-level control rooms will be set up and special enforcement teams will be formed for the purpose of checking the illegal manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of banned single-use plastic items.
States and Union Territories have been asked to set up border checkpoints to stop the inter-state movement of any banned single-use plastic items.
A CPCB Grievance Redressal App has been launched to empower citizens to help curb the plastic menace. For wider public outreach, the PRAKRITI-mascot was also launched on 5th April.
The government has been taking measures for awareness generation towards the elimination of single-use plastics.
The awareness campaign has brought together entrepreneurs and startups, industry, Central, State, and Local Governments, regulatory bodies, experts, citizen organizations, R& D, and academic institutions.
The success of the ban will only be possible through effective engagement and concerted actions by all stakeholders and enthusiastic public participation, believes the Ministry.