Lok Sabha Question No. 2018 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-13
Subject: Ban on Single Use Plastic
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Kotagiri Sridhar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2018

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13/03/2023

## Ban on Single Use Plastic

## 2018.  SHRI SRIDHAR KOTAGIRI:

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

(a)    whether  the  Government is  taking  measures  to  enforce  ban  on  manufacturing,  import, stocking,  distribution,  sale  and  use  of  single  use  plastic  in  the  country,  if  so,  the  details thereof;

(b)  whether  the  Government  is  taking  measures  to  promote  research  on  the  alternatives  of such single use plastic; and

(c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(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, which became effective from 1 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 one hundred twenty 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. 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.  Special  pan  India  enforcement  drives  was  undertaken  in  months  of  October, November and December, 2022 by Central Pollution Control Board, State Pollution Control Boards  and Pollution Control Committees.  During  the  enforcement  campaigns,  noncompliance  of  the  ban  on  identified  single  use  plastic  has  been  found  in  commercial establishments  and manufacturing  units  including  in  small  shops  in  local  markets.  Actions have been taken on the deviations, which include seizure of banned single use plastic items and levy of penalty. 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.

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  for  monitoring  of  implementation  of  comprehensive  action  plan  (b)  CPCB

Monitoring  Module  for  Compliance  on  Elimination  of  Single  Use  Plastic,  and  (c)  CPCB Grievance Redressal App.

(b) & (c): The Department of Science and Technology and Department of Biotechnology support research and development projects for alternatives to banned single-use plastic items, as per scheme guidelines. NITI Aayog has also brought out a report on alternative products and technologies to plastics and their applications. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has schemes to provide support to MSME units, which include support to such units  which  were  earlier  involved  in  manufacturing  of  banned  single  use  plastic  items  for switching over to alternatives / other products. Further, to  encourage  innovation in development of alternatives to banned identified single use plastic items and digital solutions to  plastic  waste  management,  the  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change organized  an  India  Plastic  Challenge  -  Hackathon  2021,  for  students  of  higher  education institutions and start-ups.

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