Lok Sabha Question No. 3603 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-08
Subject: Plastic Waste
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Nalin Kumar Kateel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3603

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.08.2022

## Plastic Waste

## 3603. SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL:

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

- (a) whether the plastic has become one of the most pressing environmental issues now a days, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details  of  estimate  quantum of plastic waste  generated in the country, annually; and
- (c)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  measures  toplastic  waste  management  in  the country, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) & (b): Unmanaged and littered plastic waste has adverse impacts on terrestrial  and aquatic ecosystems. As per Annual Report of CPCB for the year 2019-20, the plastic waste generation in the country has 34.69 lakh tonnes per annum (TPA) during the year 2019-20 of which approximately 15.8 Lakh TPA of plastic waste was recycled and 1.67 Lakh TPA was co-processed in cement kilns.

(c): The  Plastic  Waste  Management  Rules,  2016,  provides  the  statutory  framework  for plastic  waste  management  in  an  environmentally  sound  manner  throughout  the  country. Considering the adverse effect of littered single use plastic items on terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems, the Ministry notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, on 12th August 2021, prohibiting identified single use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential, from 1st July 2022. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has also notified the Guidelines on the Extended Producer Responsibility  for  plastic  packaging  vide  Plastic  Waste  Management  Amendment  Rules, 2022, on 16th February, 2022.

Further,  All  thirty  six  States/UTs  have  constituted  the  Special  Task  Force  under  the chairpersonship of the Chief Secretary / Administrator for elimination of identified single use plastic items and effective plastic waste management. A National Level Taskforce has also been constituted by the Ministry in this regard. Under Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, additional

Central Assistance is provided to States and Union Territories for solid waste management including plastic waste management in urban and rural areas.

Directions have been issued under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for setting  up  of  institutional  mechanism  for  enforcement  of  provisions  of  Plastic  Waste Management  Rules,  2016  to  all State Pollution Control Boards  / Pollution Control Committees. Directions have also been issued to E-commerce companies, leading single use plastic  sellers/users,  and  plastic  raw  material  manufacturers  with  respect  to  phasing  out  of identified single use plastic items.

The following online platforms were launched on 5th April 2022 for effective monitoring of ban  on  identified  single  use  plastic  items  and  plastic  waste  management  in  the  country  (i) National  Dashboard  on  for  monitoring  of  comprehensive  action  plan  implementation,  (ii) Centralized online Portal for Extended Producer Responsibility implementation, (iii) CPCB Monitoring  Module  for  Compliance  on  Elimination  of  Single  Use  Plastic,  and  (iv)  CPCB Grievance Redressal App.

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