New Delhi, India
Plastic ban: India has announced that it intends to ban all singleuse plastics by 2022. The United Nations praised the plan to end the use of plastic bags, cutlery, straws, and bottles, saying that while some 60 countries have announced curbs on plastics, India’s program to halt their use by more than 1.3 billion people is by far the most ambitious. The country generates about 6 million tons of plastic waste every year, much of which is dumped into the ocean and washes onto beaches. Enforcement will be difficult: Ten plastic bans are already in effect in Indian states and cities, yet only two have had significant results. But the government says it is committed. “An unclean environment hurts the poor and vulnerable the most,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.