By witnessing the increasing rate of plastic pollution, I can say “a little too late is much too late”. Anyway, let’s say “better to be late than be dead on time”.
The Ministry of Environment has drafted policy to impose ban on manufacture, sale, import, use, handling stock and distribution of single-use plastic products in a staggered manner starting from 30 September 2021.
First attempt to ban single-use plastic from 1 October 2019 was unsuccessful due to fierce resistance from plastic industry. Hope to be a successful ban this time! This time government is giving sufficient time to plastic industry to find alternative materials (eco-friendly) like compostable plastic, bioplastics, etc.
First phase of ban will be imposed from 30 September 2021 which requisite plastic carry bag made from virgin or recycled plastic should have minimum thickness of 120 microns except it is made of compostable plastics. As per government officials, this will improve the collection and segregation of the plastic carry bags.
Starting from 1 January 2022, second phase of the ban will be imposed on earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks and decoration material (polystyrene).
Third phase of ban starting from 1 July 2022 will be imposed on complete single-use plastic items like plastic plates, glasses, cutlery items (like plastic forks, spoons, knives, trays, etc.), packaging/wrapping films on sweet boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets, plastic stirrers, plastic/polyvinyl chloride (PVC) banners with thickness of less than 100 microns.
Prime minister, shri Narendra Modi would be celebrating plastic free 75th Independence day of India in 2022.
This ban will not be applicable on plastic items made of environment friendly materials like, compostable plastics or bioplastics.
As per the statement of government officials, “The first items to be phased out from January 1, 2022; are those whose alternatives are easily available. The manufacturers and brand owners of remaining items will be given additional adequate time of six months to find alternatives using compostable plastic or other environment friendly materials.”
Let’s hope that the compostable plastic and bioplastic material manufacturing facility come in India very soon to make the ban more effective and powerful.