Centre notifies ban on single-use plastic

The Union environment ministry has notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, that make it mandatory for the thickness of plastic carry bags to be increased to 120 microns by the end of next year, and prohibit the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of several products with low utility but high littering potential.

The permitted thickness of the plastic bags, currently 50 microns, will be increased to 75 microns from September 30, 2021, and to 120 microns from the December 31, 2022, according to the notification published on August 12.

The ban on products -- these include ear buds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration;

NEW DELHI:

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 of less than 100 micron thickness -- will come into force from July 1, 2022.

The notification is in line with India’s stand at the 4th United Nations Environment

Assembly held in 2019, when the country moved a resolution on addressing single-use plastic products pollution by 2022. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also conferred the “champions of the earth” award by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2018 for pledging to eliminate all singleuse plastic by 2022. The PM had