Lok Sabha Question No. 2146 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-23
Subject: Single Use Plastic
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Kotagiri Sridhar, Meenakashi Lekhi

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2146

TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.09.2020

## Single Use Plastic

## 2146. SHRI SRIDHAR KOTAGIRI: SHRIMATI MEENAKSHI LEKHI:

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

- (a) whether  use  of  plastic  in  day-to-day  life  has  been  found  to  be  damaging  to  the environment,  especially  the  plastic  used  in  packaging  with  thickness  less  than  40 microns which continues to be manufactured in violation of low;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the remedial measures the Government has taken or plans to take to restrict use of plastic in packaging industry to check environmental degradation;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  formulated  any  specific  plan  to  encourage  use  of degradable  plastic  in  the  country  including  proposal  to  close  down  all  industries manufacturing these products;
- (e) if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) the steps taken by government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

(a) and (b): Under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, plastic carry bags (virgin or recycled) with thickness less than 50 micron and plastic sheet or like, which is not an integral part of multi-layered packaging and cover made of plastic sheet used for packaging, wrapping commodities,  with  thickness  less  than  50  micron  are  banned.  Single  use  plastics  such  as plastics used for packaging, carrying or dispensing commodities and intended to be used only once, if uncollected and littered, have adverse environmental impacts.

(c) to (f): The plastic waste including single use plastics are managed in the country under Plastic  Waste  Management  Rules,  2016,  and  its  amendments.  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.

Under the said Rules, producer, importer and brand owner need to work out modalities for waste  collection  system  based  on  Extended  Producers  Responsibility.  The  Ministry  has recently  approved  a  draft  Guideline  Document  on  Uniform  Framework  for  Extended Producers  Responsibility  under  Plastic  Waste  Management  Rules,  2016.  The  guideline provides for three different  models for the Producers, Importers and Brand Owners for the implementation  of  the  EPR  mechanism.   The  document  is  uploaded  on  the  website  of  the Ministry.

The Ministry had also issued 'Standard Guidelines for Single-Use Plastic' on 21st January 2019 to all States/UTs and Ministries. The Standard guidelines lay down improvements in the waste  management  system,  legal  options  for  States/Union  Territories  to  prohibit  items  of Single Use Plastic through  regulatory  measures,  eco-friendly alternatives,  social  awareness and  public  education.  Considering  the  high  environmental  cost  associated  with  the  use  of Single-use  plastic,  particularly  the  adverse  effect  on  soil,  water  bodies  and  on  marine environment, Hon'ble Prime Minister has announced India's pledge to phase out Single-use plastic  by  2022.  Many  States/UTs  through  their  own  notifications  have  imposed  partial  or complete prohibition on the use of plastic carry bags/single use plastic. 32 States/UTs have issued  notifications/orders  introducing  regulations  pertaining  to  complete  or  partial  ban  on plastic carry bags and/or other single-use plastic items.

Government has identified Compostable plastic as one of the alternatives. To promote the use of compostable plastic, the provision of minimum thickness of fifty microns has been made  inapplicable  to  carry  bags  made  up  of  compostable  plastic,  conforming  to  IS/ISO 17088. Some of the State Governments which have banned the use of plastic bags in their respective states are allowing only compostable plastic bags for plant nurseries, horticulture, agriculture  and  other  use.  Apart  from  the  traditional  material  like  jute  bags,  leaf  plates, bamboo cutleries, the new material like bagasse based products, banana stem based products etc. are now widely available in the market.

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