Single-use plastic ban comes into effect in India: Centre shares list of banned daily-use items

The ban on single-use plastic came into effect on Friday even as industry associations urged the government not to impose a blanket ban but implement it in a phased manner. The Union environment ministry said that the state governments, in a bid to implement the ban on single-use plastic smoothly, will initiate an enforcement campaign and close down units engaging in the production, distribution, stocking, and sale of such items.The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, in August last year.

The rules mandate a ban from July 1 on manufacturing, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of single-use plastic items -- an industry that is worth Rs 10,000 crore. The law would cover rigid plastic items such as plates, cups, glasses, cutlery, wrapping or packaging films, PVC banners less than 100 micron, straws, and stirrers.The single-use plastic manufacturing industry. Carrying forward the spirit of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsava’ — 75th year of Independence, a defining step to curb pollution caused by littered and unmanaged plastic waste is being taken by the country. On the demand side, directions have been issued to e-commerce companies, the leading user of single-use plastics, as well as plastic raw material manufacturers to phase out such items.Earlier, the government prohibited the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of plastic carry bags having a thickness less than seventy-five microns with effect from 30 September 2021, and having thickness less than the thickness of one hundred and twenty microns with effect from the 31 December 2022.

The banned items include:

Earbuds with plastic sticks
Plastic sticks for balloons
Plastic flags
Candy sticks
Ice-cream sticks
Polystyrene i.e. thermocol for decoration
Plates, cups, glasses
Cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays
Wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes
Invitation cards
Cigarette packets
Plastic or PVC banners less than 100 microns and stirrers