Lok Sabha Question No. 4800 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-23
Subject: Use of Plastic
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: FEROZE VARUN GANDHI, SUKHBIR SINGH JAUNPURIA, T.G. VENKATESH BABU, ANSHUL VERMA, VINCENT H PALA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 4800

TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.03.2018

## Use of Plastic

4800. SHRI FEROZE VARUN GANDHI: SHRI SUKHBIR SINGH JAUNAPURIA: SHRI VENKATESH BABU T.G.: DR. ANSHUL VERMA: SHRI VINCENT H. PALA:

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

- (a) whether the  Government has fixed norms for manufacturing and use of  degradable plastic and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether increasing manufacture, import and indiscriminate use of plastic has been a major  reason  for  environmental  degradation  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the remedial measures taken by the Government in this regard;
- (c) whether the Government has conducted any study on the extent of damage caused by the use of plastic in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether there is indiscriminate use of non-degradable plastic in packaging of goods in rural areas and if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken by the Government to deal with the issue of plastic waste in rural areas; and
- (e) whether the Government has encouraged all the States/UTs to enforce a ban on using or disposing non biodegradable plastic bags and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) The Government has notified Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 defining norms for compostable plastic.  The Rules prohibit the use of plastic bags with thickness less than 50 microns.  However,  the  provision  of  thickness  is  not  applicable  to  carry  bags  made  up  of compostable plastic. Further, the carry bags made from compostable plastics has to conform to the  Indian  Standard:  IS  17088:2008  titled  as  Specifications  for  Compostable  Plastics.  The manufacturers or seller of compostable plastic carry bags has to obtain a certificate from the Central Pollution Control Board before marketing or selling of the compostable plastic.

(b) 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 inter-alia  mandate  the  producers,  importers  and  brand  owners  to  work  out  modalities  for waste collection system based on the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility.

(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 present as mobile and leachable phase.

(d) The  Plastic  Waste  Management  Rules,  2016  specifies  criteria  for  the  use  of  carry bags, packaging material etc for the packaging of foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and drinking water. There is no discrimination for selection of packaging material in rural or urban areas. The Rules mandate every gram panchayat to set up, operationalise and co-ordinate for waste management  in  the  rural  area  under  their  control.  The  gram  panchayat  has  to  ensure segregation, collection, storage, transportation of plastic  waste and  channelization of recyclable  plastic  waste  fraction  to  recyclers,  creating  awareness  among  all  stakeholders about their responsibilities.

(e) The Rules prescribe plastic bags with thickness less than 50 microns to be prohibited, however, many State Governments and local bodies have imposed ban on plastic carry bags irrespective of thickness in order to prevent littering of plastic.

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