Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav announced on June 28 that govt will ban single-use plastic from July 1, according to CNBC-TV18.
“Govt has given enough time to switch away from single-use plastic,” the minister said.
According to the environment ministry notification, the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of single-use plastic, including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene commodities will be banned from July 1, 2022.
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Other prohibited items include plastic sticks for balloons, earbuds with plastic sticks, ice-cream sticks, candy sticks, plastic cups, plastic glasses, plastic or PVC banners less than 100 microns, stirrers, plastic spoons, forks, knives, and straws.
Single-use plastic refers to those plastic items that are used only once before they are thrown away.
For the packaging industry, the challenge is also to search for a direct alternative to locally available BOPP films (polypropylene) used extensively for packaging products as it prevents moisture and can hold weight better than a cellophane sheet. The notified list of banned items also includes packaging/wrapping plastic films for sweet boxes, cigarette packets and invitation cards.
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According to All India Plastics Manufacturers’ Association director-general Deepak Ballani, the focus should also be on stepping up action on proper management of plastic waste. “We also want Clean India and are ready to transition. But why not focus on the root of the problem – plastic waste. We need to improve waste segregation at source level, and amp up our recycling infrastructure,” he says.
