According to a statement by the government in Lok Sabbha, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, on 12th August 2021, prohibiting manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of a number of identified single use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential with effect from 1st July, 2022. They include ear buds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, icecream sticks, polystyrene [Thermocol] for decoration, plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, and cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners less than 100 micron, stirrers.
The notification prohibits manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of plastic carry bags having thickness less than thickness of one hundred and twenty microns with effect from December last year.
Also, the littered plastic waste has adverse impacts on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, the government rightly underlined. There is no doubt that plastic does more harm than good. The perils of plastic pollution are manifold.
Also, the EPR guidelines on plastic packaging mandate the reuse of rigid plastic packaging, subject to the regulations as prescribed by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India for food contact applications. The EPR guidelines also promote sustainable plastic packaging thus reducing the plastic foot print. Further, to develop alternatives to banned single use plastics the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change organized, “India Plastic Challenge – Hackathon 2021” for start-ups and students of colleges and Universities. Two startups which developed alternative packaging material were awarded. One start up developed a completely biodegradable alternative to thermocol from paddy straw waste. The other startup developed packaging material using seaweeds.
Further, under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the states and UTs are required to set up institutional mechanisms for enforcement of provisions of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 through State Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees.
The government also says, all States/UTs have constituted the Special Task Force under the chairpersonship of the Chief Secretary / Administrator for elimination of identified single use plastic items and effective plastic waste management.
While various mechanisms along with laws and rules have been worked out, eradicating the offensive material should be a continuous process and all measures need to be taken in this regard.
There is need for continuous public awareness on plastic waste management and elimination of single-use plastics.
