Lok Sabha Question No. 697 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-23
Subject: Prohibition on Sale of Single-use plastics
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Sushil Kumar Singh

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 697

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.07.2021

## Prohibition on Sale of Single-use plastics

## 697. SHRI SUSHIL KUMAR SINGH:

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

- (a) whether his Ministry has brought out 2021 draft rules to prohibit manufacture, import, stocking, distribution and sale of certain single-use plastics from January 1, 2022;
- (b) if so, the details and features of such rules thereof;
- (c) the ways in which his ministry is planning to enforce the said rules given the poor enforcement of existing notified rules in this regard;
- (d) whether  the  National  Green  Tribunal  has  recently  made  observations  on  the  tardy implementation of the extended producer responsibility regime by his Ministry; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and the corrective measures taken by his Ministry?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) & (b)The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had issued a notification containing draft provisions in the Gazette of India vide GSR No. 169 (E) on 11 th March 2021 for  amending  Plastic  Waste  Management  Rules,  2016,  inter  alia  prohibiting  the  use  of identified single use plastic items by 2022, for public consultation.

As per the draft notification, the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of the following identified single use plastic items are proposed to be prohibited as per schedule given below

|   S. No. | Items                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | Phase out date   |
|----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------|
|        1 | Carry bag made of virgin or recycled plastic less than120 microns in thickness                                                                                                                                           | 30.09.2021       |
|        2 | Non-woven plastic carry bag less than 60 GSM (Gram per square meter) or 240 microns in thickness                                                                                                                         | 30.09.2021       |
|        3 | Ear buds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene [Thermocol] for decoration                                                                         | 1.1.2022         |
|        4 | single-use plastic (including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene) items Plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, straw, container and container lids, trays, plastic/PVC banners less than 100 microns, stirrers. | 01.07.2022       |

The  above  provisions  shall  not  apply  to  commodities  (including  carry  bags)  made  of compostable plastic material.

- (c) The following steps have been taken to strengthen implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 and also to reduce the use of identified single use plastic items:
- (i) The States/UTs have been requested to constitute a Special Task Force under Chairpersonship of Chief Secretary/Administrator for elimination of single use plastics and effective implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. Already, 14 States/UTs have constituted the Special Task Force till date. A National Level Taskforce has also been constituted  by  the  Ministry  for  taking  coordinated  efforts  to  eliminate  identified  single  use plastic items and effective implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
- (ii)  The  State  /UT  Governments  and  concerned  Central  Ministries/Departments  have  also been requested for the development of a comprehensive action plan for elimination of single use plastics and effective implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, and its implementation in a time bound manner.
- (iii) Directions under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, have been issued to  all  States/Union  Territories  inter  alia  for  setting  up  for  institutional  mechanism  for strengthening enforcement of Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016.
- (iv) The Government has been taking measures for awareness generation towards elimination of  single  use  plastics  and  effective  implementation  of  Plastic  Waste  Management  Rules, 2016.
- (d)  &  (e):  The  Plastic  Waste  Management  Rules,  since  their  coming  into  force  in  2016, mandate producers, importers and brand owners to work out modalities for waste collection system  based  on  extended  producer  responsibility.  The  order  dated  8 th January  2021  of Hon'ble National Green Tribunal (NGT), relates to finalization of a draft Guideline document prepared by the Ministry for effective implementation of Extended Producers Responsibility by producers, importers and brand owners. The draft Guidelines were put on the website of the  Ministry  for  comments  of  stakeholders  in  June  2020.  Around  160  comments  had  been received  on  the  draft  Extended  Producer  Responsibility  Guidelines.  Since  the  time  of  the direction of Hon'ble NGT, the comments received on the Guidelines have been compiled and have been processed.

Further, Directions under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, had been issued to all State Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees, regarding registration of producers and brand owners for fulfilment of extended producer responsibility in October, 2020. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had also issued a profoma for Action Plan for fulfilment of extended producer responsibility in June, 2019. The CPCB has also issued Standard Operating Procedure for registration of Producer, Importer and Brand Owner under PWM Rules, 2016, as amended, for effective implementation of EPR in March, 2021. Separately, 'Guidelines for assessment of Environmental Compensation for violation of PWM Rules, 2016' have also been issued by CPCB.

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