Single-Use Plastic Ban: What Are the Rules? What Is the Penalty?

'Single-use plastic', as the name suggests, are those that are discarded or disposed of after one single use.

India will see a countrywide ban on the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of identified single-use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential, from 1 July 2022.

'Single-use plastics', as the name suggests, are those that are discarded or disposed of after one single use.

What will be banned from 1 July?

• Earbuds with sticks

• Plastic sticks for balloons

• Plastic flags

• Candy sticks

• Ice-cream sticks

• Thermocol for decoration

• Plastic plates, cups, glasses, cutlery

• Wrapping and packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets

• Plastic or PVC banners less than 100 microns

What about plastic carry bags?

The manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of plastic carry bags having thickness of less than 75 microns had already been banned with effect from 30 September 2021. According to latest rules, bags with thickness of less than 120 microns will be banned from 31 December 2022.

Bags that are thicker than this will be allowed.

So remember to carry a bag when you visit your vegetable and grocery vendors, or hawker shops.

What happens if the rules are violated?

According to the notification, if people are found to be flouting the ban, they can be fined under the Environment Protection Act 1986, which permits jail of up to five years, or a penalty of up to Rs 1 lakh, or both.

Will I get plastic cutlery with my online order?

You will no longer get plastic cutlery as it is banned under the new rules.

Who will be monitoring the ban?

• The ban will be monitored by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) from the Centre, and the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) that will report to the Ministry of Environment about the implementation of the ban.

• The Centre will reportedly be setting up control rooms at national and state levels.

• These control rooms will be supervised by the CPCB and special enforcement teams.

• Along with this, these special enforcement teams will also keep a check on illegal manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of the 12 banned single-use plastic items.