Lok Sabha Question No. 3981 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-19
Subject: Single-Use Plastics
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: (Dr.) Ram Shankar Katheria, Manoj Kumar Tiwari, Ravindra Kushawaha, Ravi Kishan Shukla, Subrata Pathak, Nayab Singh

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3981

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.03.2021

## Single-Use Plastics

## 3981.   DR. RAM SHANKAR KATHERIA:

SHRI MANOJ TIWARI:

SHRI RAVINDRA KUSHWAHA:

SHRI RAVI KISHAN:

SHRI SUBRAT PATHAK:

SHRI NAYAB SINGH:

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

- (a) the steps taken by the Government todo away with single-use plastics in order to address pollution caused by plastics;
- (b) whether  the  Union  Government  has  been  running  any  public  awareness  campaign  to check the use of single-use plastics;
- (c) if so, the  details  of  institutions  and  administrative  departments  engaged  in  such campaign;
- (d) whether any law has been formulated/ passed by the Government in the recent past to minimize the use of such plastics and the pollution caused by it; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a)  The  Plastic  Waste  Management  Rules,  2016,  prohibit  manufacture,  import,  stocking, distribution, sale and use of carry bags and plastic sheets less than fifty microns in thickness in the country. There is complete ban on sachets using plastic material used for storing, packing or selling gutkha, tobacco and pan masala.

The Ministry had also issued 'Standard Guidelines for Single-Use Plastic' on 21 st January 2019 to all States/UTs and Ministries. The guidelines entails waste management system improvements, legal options for States/UTs to prohibit SUP items through regulatory measures, eco-friendly  alternatives,  social  awareness  and  public  education.  The  Guidelines  also  include measures  to  be  taken  by  government  offices.  33  States/UTs  have  issued  notifications/orders introducing  regulations  pertaining  to  complete  or  partial  ban  on  plastic  carry  bags  and/or identified single-use plastic items.

(b) & (c): The  Union  Government  through  various  central  ministries  and  government agencies  has  been  involved  in  generating  public  awareness  on  plastic  waste  management including  single-use  plastics.  Some  of  the  public  awareness  campaigns  run  by  Ministry  of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and Society for Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM) are given below:

-  A  three-phase  campaign  'Swachhta  Hi  Sewa'  was  undertaken  in  2019  where  citizens collected  Single  Use  Plastic  from  the  houses,  streets  etc.  and  deposited  the  waste  at designated locations for recycling.
-  Further,  for  spreading  awareness  among  the  coastal  cities  and  towns,  beach  cleaning drive was also taken up across 50 beaches.
-  Under  the  National  Green  Corps  (NGC)  programme  of  the  Ministry,  about  one  lakh schools  have  been  identified  as  Eco-clubs,  wherein,  nearly  thirty  lakh  students  are actively  participating  in  various  environment  protection  and  conservation  activities including plastic waste management.

(d) & (e): The Government of India has issued a draft notification in the Gazette of Indiavide GSR No. 169 (E) on 11 th March 2021for amending Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, inter alia prohibiting the use of identified Single use plastic items by 2022, for public consultation.

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