Control rooms at the national and state levels will be established to monitor the production, importation, stocking, distribution, sales, and usage of prohibited single-use plastic (SUP) products. Only through meaningful involvement and concerted efforts by all stakeholders is the ban’s success conceivable.
Public involvement is essential to outlawing SUPs.
The Government of India issued the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, on August 12, 2021, in response to the unequivocal request made by PM Narendra Modi, to phase out SUP goods by 2022. In keeping with the spirit of “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsava,” the nation is taking a decisive action to reduce pollution brought on by dispersed and poorly managed plastic garbage. Beginning on July 1, 2022, India will outlaw the production, import, stockpiling, distribution, sale, and use of specific SUP goods throughout the whole nation because to their limited usefulness and significant potential for littering.
Plastic from abandoned SUPs has been shown to have harmful effects on both land and aquatic habitats, especially the marine environment. The prevention of pollution from SUP products has emerged as a significant environmental problem for all nations.
India led the development of a resolution on single-use plastic pollution at the 4th United Nations Environment Assembly in 2019, realising the urgent need for the international community to pay attention to this crucial problem. This resolution’s approval at UNEA 4 was a notable development. India worked together with all other member nations to reach agreement on the resolution that would spearhead international action against plastic pollution during the just finished 5th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in March 2022.
The Indian government has made a firm effort to reduce pollution brought on by abandoned SUPs. The following items are prohibited: stirrers, plastic plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, and knives, straws, trays, wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, balloons with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, and polystyrene (Thermocol) for decoration.
The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021 forbid the production, importation, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of plastic carry bags with a thickness of less than 75 microns beginning on September 30, 2021, and less than 120 microns beginning on December 31, 2022.
On February 16th, 2022, the Guidelines on Extended Producers Responsibility on Plastic Packaging were also published as Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2022 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is the producer’s obligation to manage a product in an ecologically sound manner all the way through to the end of its useful life. The Guidelines will serve as a framework to improve the circular economy of plastic packaging waste, encourage the creation of novel plastic packaging substitutes, and outline the next actions that firms should take to adopt sustainable plastic packaging.
With the help of the Ministry of Small, Micro, and Medium Enterprises, the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering (CIPET), and their state centres, capacity building workshops are being organised for MSME units to give them technical assistance for manufacturing alternatives to prohibited SUP items. Additionally, provisions have been made to help these businesses migrate away from the illegal SUPs.
The Indian government has also made initiatives to support innovation and create an environment that would hasten the penetration and accessibility of alternatives across the whole nation.
On July 1, 2022, national and state level control rooms will be established, and special enforcement teams will be created to check for the unauthorised manufacturing, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and usage of prohibited SUP goods. In order to prevent the interstate transportation of any prohibited SUP products, States and Union Territories have been urged to establish border checkpoints.
The CPCB Grievance Redressal App was introduced to enable citizens to combat the plastics epidemic. On April 5th, the mascot PRAKRITI was also introduced in an effort to attract a larger audience.
The government has been making efforts to raise awareness about the need to do rid of SUPs. Entrepreneurs and startups, business, the federal, state, and local governments, regulatory agencies, experts, civic groups, research and development centres, and academic institutions have all participated in the awareness campaign.
The Ministry is of the opinion that the prohibition will only be successful if all stakeholders work together effectively, take coordinated action, and engage the public enthusiastically.