Lok Sabha Question No. 66 (STARRED), answered on 2022-12-12
Subject: Ban on Single Use Plastics
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Sanganna Amarappa Karadi, Umesh G. Jadhav

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

## LOK SABHA

STARRED QUESTION No. 66 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.12.2022

## Ban on Single Use Plastics

## *66.  SHRI SANGANNA AMARAPPA: DR. UMESH G. JADHAV:

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

- (a) the  implementation  mechanism  for  the  ban  on  single  use  plastics  notified  in  the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2021;
- (b) the details of the proposed expansion of the identified plastic items under the ban
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  found  that  many  manufacturers  continue  to  produce plastic items like straws, straw covers, cigarette packets etc. and such items are also available in small shops
- (d) if so, the details of the action taken against them; and
- (e) whether the Government has penalised any persons/companies for deviation from the said Rules so far and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)

- (a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

***

Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 66 to  be  answered  on  12 th December,  2022  on  'Ban  on  Single  Use  Plastics'  by  Shri Sanganna Amarappa, Dr. Umesh G. Jadhav, Hon'ble Members of Parliament.

(a)The Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, as amended, provide the statutory framework and the prescribed authorities for enforcement of the rules, including ban on identified single use plastic items. The following identified single use plastic items, which have low utility and high  littering  potential,  have  been  prohibited,  with  effect  from  1st  July,  2022,  vide  Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021:

-  ear buds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, icecream sticks, polystyrene [Thermocol] for decoration;
-  plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards,  and cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners less than 100 micron, stirrers.

The  notification  also  prohibits  manufacture,  import,  stocking,  distribution,  sale  and  use  of plastic  carry  bags  having  thickness  less  than  seventy-five  microns  with  effect  from  30th September 2021, and having thickness less than thickness of one hundred and twenty microns with effect from the 31st December, 2022

The  following  steps  have  been  taken  to  strengthen  implementation  of  Plastic  Waste Management Rules, 2016 and to implement ban on identified single use plastic items:

(i) 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 for taking coordinated efforts to eliminate identified single use  plastic  items  and  effective  implementation  of  Plastic  Waste  Management  Rules,  2016. Three meetings of the National Task Force have been held. The State /UT Governments and concerned Central Ministries/Departments have also been askedto developa comprehensive action plan for elimination of single use plastic and implement it in a time bound manner.

(ii) Directions have been issued under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to the following:

- a. Plastic raw  material  manufacturers  to  stop  supplying  plastic  raw  material  for manufacture of banned single use plastic items,
- b. SPCBs/PCCs were directed to revoke / modify consent / registration issued to banned SUP producers,
- c. State Urban Development Department have been directed to take necessary action for implementation of SUP ban

Separately, custom authorities have been asked to stop the import of banned SUP items

(iii)  For effective monitoring of ban on identified single use plastic items and plastic waste management  in  the  country  the  following  online  platforms  are  in  operation  (a)  National Dashboard  on  for  monitoring  of  comprehensive  action  plan  implementation,  (b)  CPCB Monitoring  Module  for  Compliance  on  Elimination  of  Single  Use  Plastic,  and  (c)  CPCB Grievance Redressal App.

(iv) A one month long pan India enforcement campaign was undertaken for implementation of  ban  on  identified  single  use plastic  items  from  1 st to  31 st July  2022.  Further,  States  and Union territories have been asked to undertake regular enforcement drives to implement ban on  identified  single  use  plastic  items  and  on  plastic  carry  bags  having  thickness  less  than seventy five microns, covering fruit and vegetable markets, wholesale markets, local markets, flower vendors, units manufacturing plastic carry  bags etc. States  and UTs have also been asked to undertake random checking at border checkpoints to stop inter-state movement of banned single use plastic items. Special pan India enforcement drives have been undertaken in  months  of  October  and  November,  by  Central  Pollution  Control  Board,  State  Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees.

(v)  Rapid  penetration  of  alternatives  is  a  key  for  successful  implementation  of  the  ban  on identified  single  use  plastic  items.  In  order  to  provide  assistance  to  MSME  enterprises transitioning away from single use plastic items to eco-alternatives, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has made provisions in their ongoing schemes. A National Expo on eco-alternatives to banned single use plastics items and Conference of Startups - 2022 was organized jointly with Government of Tamil Nadu in Chennai on 26-27th September 2022 to raise  awareness  on  alternatives.  Awareness  generation  and  capacity  building  programmes have been organized for elimination of single use plastics.

(b):There  is  no  proposal  under  consideration  on  expansion  of  single  use  plastic  ban,  at present.

(c) to (e): During the enforcement campaign, non-compliance of the ban on identified single use plastic has beenfound in commercial establishments and manufacturing units including in small  shops  in  local  markets.  Actionshave  been  taken  on  the  deviations,  which  include seizure of banned single use plastic items and levy of penalty.As per available information, the penalty levied during the enforcement campaigns is approximately Rs. 5,81,78,001/- and 775,577 kg. material was seized. Further the Producers/Importers/Brand owners engaged in producing  /  importing  /  using  banned  single  use  plastic  items  have  not  been  granted registration on the centralized EPR portal for plastic packaging.