The Union environment ministry has proposed a plan to reduce the usage of some of the single-use plastic products by 2022. The ministry had released a draft notification on March 11 that comprised a detailed plan of how the single-use products will be phased out next year.
It has also been decided that the thickness of polythene bags will be increased from 50 microns to at least 120 microns from September 9, 2021. The draft states that the use, manufacture, import, sales of single-use plastics is restricted due to the high environmental costs incurred from use of plastics, adverse effect on marine environment, and the need for a decisive action to combat plastic pollution.
A fact sheet released by The Energy and Resources Institute in 2018 reveals that around 43% of single-use plastics are used for packaging purpose. It is estimated by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) that each person in India uses about 9.7 kgs of plastics in a year. According to a study by Un-plastic Collective (UPC), India generates nearly 9.46 million tonnes of plastic waste in a year, of which 40% is not collected.
Many states have issued guidelines on single use plastics and have formulated legislations imposing a ban on single-use plastic products. The Maharashtra Plastic and Thermocol Products Notification, which restricts plastic bags and cutlery as well as plastic packaging, were notified in March 2018.
However, the All India Plastics Manufacturers Association pointed out that the phasing out of single-use plastic items could render at least 1 million in the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises jobless.
