Ban on Single-use Plastic

India is set to ban 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.

Single use Plastics

India has defined single-use plastic as disposable plastics that are commonly used for packaging and include items intended to be used only once before they are thrown away or recycled.

These include items such as carry bags, food packaging, bottles, straws, containers, cups and cutlery.

According to a fact sheet released by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and environment ministry in 2018, around 43% of manufactured plastics are used for packaging purposes and most are of single-use.

Single use plastic contaminates soil and water; choke waterways and exacerbate natural disasters. Plastics also block sewage systems and provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes;release toxic chemicals and emissions when burned.

Legal Regulations in India

In order to address the issue of scientific plastic waste management, the Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 were notified in 2011 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC)which included plastic waste management.

The Government has notified the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, in suppression of the earlier Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011.

Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021

Last year, the government notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, prohibiting identified single use plastic items by 2022.

The notification is in line with India’s stand at the 4th United Nations Environment Assemblyheld in 2019, when the country moved a resolution on addressing single-use plastic products pollution by 2022.

Key Provisions of Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021

The manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and useof notified single-use plastic, including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene commodities shall be prohibited with effect from the 1st July, 2022.

In order to stop littering due to light weight plastic carry bags, the permitted thickness of plastic carry bags has been increased from 50 microns to 75 micronswith effect from 30th September, 2021 and to 120 microns with effect from the 31st December, 2022.

The plastic packaging waste, which is not covered under the phase out of identified single use plastic items, shall be collected and managed in an environmentally sustainable way through the Extended Producer Responsibility(EPR) of the Producer, importer and Brand owner (PIBO), as per Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 and EPR has been given legal force through Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021.

The rules constitute a Special Task Forcefor elimination of single use plastics and effective implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.

A National Level Taskforce had also been constituted for taking coordinated efforts to eliminate identified single use plastic items and effective implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.

The State /UT Governments and concerned Central Ministries/Departments have also been requested to develop a comprehensive action planfor elimination of single use plastics and effective implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, and its implementation in a time bound manner.

The Government has also been taking measures for awareness generationtowards elimination of single use plastics and effective implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. Eg: Awareness Campaign of Single Use Plastic 2021, Essay writing competition, India Plastic Challenge Hackathon 2021.