Lok Sabha Question No. 158 (STARRED), answered on 2018-07-27
Subject: Single-use Plastic Products
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE, DHARMENDRA YADAV

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. *158

TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.07.2018

## Single-use Plastic Products

## *158.   DR. PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE: SHRI DHARMENDRA YADAV:

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

- (a) whether  plastic  pollution  is  a  major  problem  in  the  country  which  generates  25,000 tonnes of plastic waste every  year and only 60 per cent of it is recycled and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the use of plastic water bottles during meetings and other functions is a common practice in various offices and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to make all offices single-use plastic free and if so, the details thereof along with the instructions/directions issued to the Ministries/Departments to phase out the use of single-use plastic products such as plastic water bottles in their offices;
- (d) whether the Government has formulated an action plan to eliminate single-use plastic by 2022 and has set an example on the world stage by committing to overcome pollution caused  by  plastic,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  rules  and  regulations  to curtail/stop the usage of single-use plastic or non-recycle plastic and the steps taken to set up plastic recycling units at various places in the country; and
- (e) whether the Government proposes to eliminate single-use plastic packaging material at very  initial  stages  of  manufacturing  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  other steps taken by the Government to reduce and recycle plastic waste in the country?

## ANSWER

MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

- (a) to (e):

A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 158 to be  answered  on  Friday,  the  27 th July,  2018  on  'Single-use  Plastic  Products'  by  Dr. PritamGopinathMunde and Shri Dharmendra Yadav

(a) Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) conducted study on plastic waste in 60 major cities of India. It has been estimated that around 4059 tonnes/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  tonnes/day  of  plastic  waste  is  generated  in India. Approximately 15384 tonnes per day, which is 60 % of the total plastic waste generated in the country is collected and recycled

(b) and (c) It  is  observed  that  the  Government  and  the  private  organizations/institutes  use plastic water bottles during meetings and other functions. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and  Climate  Change  has  written  letters  to  the  offices  under  its  own  administrative  control, Regional Offices of the Ministry, major PSUs, corporate offices, institutes etc to prohibit singleuse plastic products including water bottles, take away coffee cups, lunch wrapped in disposable plastic  packaging,  plastic  bags,  disposable  food  containers,  plates  and  containers  made  of polystyrene  foam,  plastic  straws  etc.  in  their  offices.  MoEF&CC  has  also  written  to  all  other ministries  to  take  similar  steps  in  their  offices.The  schools  were  reached  through  Eco-Clubs operating in the respective states to create awareness about ill effect of 'single use plastic' and eliminate.

Letters were issued to Chief secretaries of all the states/Union Territoriesto communicate with temple, mosques, gurudwaras and churches in their states on ill effect of 'single use plastic' and to encourage staff and visitors to prohibit Single-use plastic products.

(d) and (e) India  was  the  global  host  of  The  World  Environment  Day  2018  and  it  was celebrated  across  India  on  5th  June,  2018.  The  theme  of  this  years  WED  was  'Beat  Plastic Pollution'. A series of engaging activities and events including plastic clean-up drives in public areas, beach clean-up and river cleaning activities, conferences, workshops, cultural programmes, media publicity, campaigns, exhibitions, competitions etc. were organized. A State Environment Ministers Conference was organized on 4 th June, 2018 and as a part of action plan the Ministry took resolution (i) to undertake capacity building programme for the ULBs, SPCBs, other stakeholders, (ii) to promote innovative technologies in waste management sector, (iii) to convene meeting with Chief Secretaries of States/UTs to monitor the implementation of the rules (iv) to take efforts to reduce the use of single use plastic in India (v) adoption of Green Good Deeds for better waste management, (vi) to develop a mechanism to document success stories in waste management.

The Government in suppression of the earlier Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011has notified the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. Further amendment to the Rules was  notified  in  March,  2018.  As  per  the  rules,  carry  bag  and  plastic  sheet  made  of  virgin  or recycled plastic, shall not be less than fifty microns in thickness. 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.

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