Lok Sabha Question No. 3150 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-20
Subject: Pollution by Plastics
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Rakesh Singh

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3150

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.03.2023

## Pollution by Plastics

## 3150.   SHRI RAKESH SINGH:

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

- (a) the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  stop  the  excessive  use  of  plastic with an objective to improve the environment condition in the country;
- (b) whether there is any visible improvement in the environment condition in the country as a result of the above steps and whether any success has been achieved in this regard to make India a plastic free country, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether wrapping papers used for packing of food items and polythene bags are being recycled to manufacture other items;
- (d) if so, whether the Government proposes to extend it to cover other plastic items also for recycling purpose; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (e):  Identified  single  use  plastic  items,  which  have  low  utility  and  high  littering potential, have already been prohibited, with effect from 1st July, 2022, vide Plastic Waste Management  Amendment  Rules,  2021notified  on  12 th August  2021.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 Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the Guidelines on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic packaging vide Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022, on 16th February 2022.  The Guidelines stipulate mandatory  targets  on  EPR,  recycling  of  plastic  packaging  waste,  reuse  of  rigid  plastic packaging and use of recycled plastic content. The guidelines provide for moving towards sustainable plastic packaging and reducing the plastic foot print. The implementation of ban on identified single use plastic items coupled with extended producer responsibility on plastic packaging will reduce pollution caused by littered and unmanaged plastic waste.

Presently, a total of 6186 of Producers, Importers and Brand Owners have been registered on the Centralized Online Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Portal on Plastic Packaging.

The  registered  PIBOs  cumulatively  have  around  2.32  Million  Tons  of  plastic  packaging covered under Extended Producer Responsibility for the year 2022-23, which also includes plastic  packaging  used  for  packing  food.  Further,  1715  plastic  waste  processors  are  also registered on the EPR portal with cumulative plastic waste processing capacity of 17 million tonnes per annum.

Further,  to  develop  alternatives  to  banned  single  use  plastics  the  Ministry  of  Environment, Forest and Climate Change organized, 'India Plastic Challenge - Hackathon 2021' for startups  and  students  of  colleges  and  Universities.  Two  startups  which  developed  alternative packaging  material  were  awarded.  One  start  up  developed  a  completely  biodegradable alternative  to  thermocol  from  paddy  straw  waste.  The  other  startup  developed  packaging material using seaweeds.

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.  More  than  150  manufacturers  of  eco-alternatives  from across the country are participating in the Expo. The Eco-alternatives were made from coir, bagasse, rice and wheat bran, plant and agricultural residue, banana and areca leaves, jute and cloth.

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