Union Ministry of Environment has announced a set of rules to ban single-use plastic (SUP) items in 3 phases. Starting this year and ending in 2022
SUP-free India
India is set to be SUP-free was also featured in the monthly “Mann ki Baat” in December 2020. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change notified Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021. On August 12, 2021, also prohibiting 20 classified single-use plastic items by 2022.
The plastic bags ban will come into force from 30 September onwards. The new amendment makes it necessary that sheets of non-woven plastic carry bags. That shall be at least 60 (GSM per square meter) or 240 microns in thickness. And that carry bags should be made up of virgin or recycled plastic which should not be less than 120 microns.
The second step for the ban will come into force on 1 January 2022, banning the sale, use, manufacturing, stocking, import, and distribution of six categories of items that use single-use plastic including earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol) for decoration.
The final step starts from 1 July 2022 banning the single-use plastic plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping/packing films around sweet boxes; invitation cards; cigarette packets, plastic/PVC banners less than 100 micron and stirrers.
The proposed ban is a great step to move towards a low-plastic economy. But it is not as easy as it seems to be because the proposed ban should be based on the evidence relevant to India. And that it must strike a balance between the harmful use of single-use plastics and the livelihoods of waste pickers.
Approximately 1.5 million waste pickers initiate the plastic recycling series in India. By picking out dumped items from mixed waste, sorting them, and selling them to waste dealers. Who, in turn, clean and sort them again and sell them ahead to specialized dealers.