Lok Sabha Question No. 1124 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-04-29
Subject: Adverse Effect of Plastic
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: SONA RAM CHOUDHARY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RESEARCH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO. 1124 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29 TH APRIL, 2016

## ADVERSE EFFECT OF PL ASTIC

## 1124. COL. SONARAM CHOUDHARY:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has taken note of adverse effect of plastic on health f the people and made any study in this regard;

- (b) if so, the details and the outcome thereof;
- (c) whether the Government intends to impose a ban on use of plastic for packaging of food products and other material; and
- (d) if so, the details and implementation status thereof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK )

- (a )& (b): The Government has taken note of the adverse effect of plastic on health of people and thus the Ministry of Environment and Forests framed the Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules in 2011 and 2016 ; that bans the usage of plastic bags with thickness less than 40 microns and instructs the manufacturers to conform to the BIS norms. The Plastic Waste Management Rules, aim to:
- I. Increase minimum thickness of plastic carry bags from 40 to 50 microns and stipu minimum  thickness  of  50  micron for plastic  sheets  also  to  facilitate  collection  an recycle of plastic waste,
- II. Expand the jurisdiction of applicability from the municipal area to rural areas, plastic has reached rural areas also;
- III. To  bring  in  the  responsibilities  of  producers  a nd  generators,  both  in  plastic  waste management  system  and to  introduce  collect  back  system  of  plastic  waste  by  the producers/brand owners, as per extended producers responsibility;
- IV. To introduce collection of plastic waste management fee through pre - registration of the producers, importers of plastic carry bags/multilayered packaging and vendors selli same for establishing the waste management system;
- V. To  promote  use  of  plastic  waste for  road  construction  as  per  Indian  Road  Congress guideli nes or energy recovery, or waste to oil etc. for gainful utilization of waste address  the  waste  disposal  issue;  to  entrust  more  responsibility  on  waste  gener namely payment of user charge as prescribed by local authority, collection and han ing over of waste by the institutional generator, event organizers.

The expected outcome from the new rules include -

- i. Increase in the thickness of carry bags and plastic sheets .
- ii. Collect back system
- iii. Phasing out of manufacture and use of non -recyclable multilayered plastic
- iv. Responsibility  of  waste  generator - All  institutional  generators  of  plastic  waste,  shal segregate  and  store  the  waste  generated  by  them  in  accordance  with  the  Solid  Wa Management Rules, and handover segregated wastes to authorized waste processing or disposal facilities or deposition centers, either on its own or through the authori collection agency
- v. Responsibility  of  local  bodies  and  Gram  Panchayat -The local  bodies  shall  be responsible for setting up, operationalization and co - ordination of the waste management system and for performing associated functions.
- vi. Pre - registration fee -The shopkeepers and street vendors willing to provide plastic car bags for dispensing any commodity shall register with local body. The con cerned local body  may  prescribe  higher  plastic  waste  management  fee,  depending  upon  the production, or sale capacity.
- vii. Reuse of plastic waste
- viii. Land for waste management facility - The responsibility to provide land for establishing waste management facility has been made to the Ministry of Environment & Forests with business allocation of land allotment in the State Government. This would eliminate the issue of getting land for the waste management facility.

(c )& ( d) : Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and Climate  Change  has  comprehensively reviewed the Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 and notified Plastic Wa Management Rule, 2016 on 18 th March, 2016 to improve the implementation of these rules. As per these rules, carry bags made of re cycled plastic or products made of recycled plastic shall n be used for storing, carrying, dispensing or packaging ready to eat or drink food stuff a using plastic material shall not be used for storing, packing or selling gutkha, tobacc an masala.