From July 1 next, single-use plastic items like candy sticks, plates, cups prohibited

The Central Government on Friday notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, prohibiting identified single-use plastic items.

This amended rule will curtail the adverse impacts of littered plastic on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This comes in line with the clarion call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to phase out single-use plastic by 2022.

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"Pollution due to single-use plastic items has become an important environmental challenge confronting all countries. India is committed to taking action for the mitigation of pollution caused by littered single-use plastics", the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said in a statement.

In the 4th United Nations Environment Assembly held in 2019, India had piloted a resolution on addressing single-use plastic products pollution, recognising the urgent need for the global community to focus on this very important issue.

According to the Centre, the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of single-use plastic, including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene, commodities shall be prohibited with effect from the July 1, 2022.

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Items banned

Earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks and 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 microns, stirrers are also part of the prohibited list.

The plastic packaging waste, which is not covered under the phase-out of identified single-use plastic items, will be collected and managed in an environmentally sustainable way through the Extended Producer Responsibility of the Producer, Importer, and Brand owner (PIBO), as per the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.

-PTC News with inputs from agencies