Lok Sabha Question No. 1271 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-02-09
Subject: Plastic Waste
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: KAPIL MORESHWAR PATIL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1271

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.02.2018

## Plastic Waste

## 1271. SHRI KAPIL MORESHWAR PATIL:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) the average annual consumption of plastic in the country along with the quantity of the plastic waste produced;
- (b) the main cities/States producing maximum quantity of plastic waste thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has conducted any study regarding harmful effects of plastic waste on human health and environment and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the National Green Tribunal has issued any guidelines in this regard, if so, the details thereof along with the action taken by the Government thereon; and
- (e) the steps being taken by the Government regarding plastic packaging including plastic waste management and its safe disposal and ensuring safety of workers engaged in plastic industry of the country?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a) and (b) According  to  National  Accounts  Statistics  2015,  brought  out  by  the  Central Statistics  Office  (CSO),  the  average  production/consumption  of  plastic  products  during  the years 2011-12 to 2015-16 (up to September 2015) is 707 MMT/year with the growth rate of 8.3%  per  year  in  chemical  and  chemical  products  sector.  Central  Pollution  Control  Board (CPCB) conducted study in 60 major cities of India. It has been estimated that around 4059 T/day  of  plastic  waste  is  generated  from  these  cities.  Extrapolating  this  plastic  waste generation data from 60 major cities to the entire country, it is estimated that around 25,940 T/day of plastic waste is generated in India.

- (c) In  a  study  sponsored  by  Central  Pollution  Control  Board  it  was  observed  that  the heavy  metals,  chloride,  phthalates  etc.  migrate  from  plastic  waste  into  the  surrounding medium because these are not chemically bound and remain leachable.
- (d) The National Green Tribunal vide its judgment in Original  Application  No.  199  of 2014  in the matter of Almitra H. Patel Versus Union of India issued consolidated directions

directing  all  the  states  and  the  Union  Territories  for  implementation  of  Solid  Waste Management Rules, 2016 and Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.

(e) The  Government  has  notified  Plastic  Waste  Management  Rules,  2016.  As  per  the Rules, the generators of waste have been mandated to take steps to minimize generation of plastic waste, not to litter the plastic waste, ensure segregated storage of waste at source and handover segregated waste to local  bodies or agencies  authorised by the local bodies.  The rules  also  mandate  the  responsibilities  of  local  bodies,  gram  panchayats,  waste  generators, retailers  and  street  vendors  to  manage  plastic  waste.  The  rules  mandate  the  producers, importers and brand owners to work out modalities for waste collection system based on the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility. The occupational safety, health and welfare of workers employed in the factories  are  taken  care by  various  legislations  of  government  of India i.e. the Factories Act 1948 and others.

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