Lok Sabha Question No. 4430 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-20
Subject: Collection of Plastic Waste
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Manoj Kishorbhai Kotak

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 4430

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.03.2020

## Collection of Plastic Waste

## 4430. SHRI MANOJ KOTAK:

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

- (a) whether the Central Pollution Control Board has taken action against several companies for not specifying a timeline or plan to collect the plastic waste;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether there has been little progress in managing plastic waste across the country; and
- (d) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  corrective  steps  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  up  by Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

(a) and (b) The Government has notified Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. The Rules mandate the producers and the brand owners to work out modalities for waste collection system based  on  the  principle  of  Extended  Producers  Responsibility  (EPR)involving  the  State  Urban Development Departments. Producers, importers and brand owners who introduce such products in  the  marketneed  to  establish  a  system  for  collection  of  used  multi-layered  plastic  sachets, pouches  or  packaging,  and  register  with  the  State  Pollution  Control  Boards/Central  Pollution Control Board.

Till now, a total of 89 Brand-ownersand 4 Producers have been registered by CPCB having an EPR capacity of approximately 4 lakh tons per annum.  The above plastic waste is being used in various  schemes  such  as  co-processing  in  cement  kilns,  waste  to  energy  plants,  recycling  and road construction.

(c) and (d) Ministry  has  taken  several  measures  for  the  management  of  plastic  waste. 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 also imposed partial or complete prohibition on the use of plastic  carry  bags/single  use  plastic.  23  States  and  9  UTs  have  issued  notifications/orders introducing regulations pertaining to complete ban on plastic carry bags and/or other single-use plastic items.

The Ministry had issued 'Standard Guidelines for Single-Use Plastic' on 21 st January 2019 to all States/UTs and Ministries. The Standard guidelines entail 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  included measures to be taken by government offices.

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 market.

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