The Ministry of Environment on Friday notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, which prohibits identified single-use plastic items by 2022.
The ministry in an official statement noted that pollution due to single-use plastic items has become an important environmental challenge confronting all countries and that India is committed to taking action for mitigation of pollution caused by littered single-use plastics.
The ministry prohibited commodities made of single-use plastics like earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, and thermocol. Items like plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, and cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners less than 100 microns were also prohibited.
In order to stop littering, the thickness of plastic carry bags has been increased from fifty microns to seventy-five microns and to one hundred and twenty microns with effect from the 31st December 2022. This will also allow the reuse of plastic carry due to increased thickness. The littering of plastic wastes has been prohibited from September 30.
“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 of the Producer, importer, and Brand owner (PIBO)” the ministry said in the statement.
“The State /UT Governments and concerned Central Ministries/Departments have also been requested to develop a comprehensive action plan for the elimination of single-use plastics and effective implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, and its implementation in a time-bound manner.” it further added.
