NEW DELHI: Keeping in view their adverse impacts on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, the Centre today notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, prohibiting several single-use plastic items with low utility and high littering potential by July 2022.
According to a gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of single-use plastic, including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene commodities have been prohibited with an effect from July 1, 2022.
They include items like earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, 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, and stirrers.
With effect from September 30, 2021, the thickness of plastic carry bags has been increased from 50 microns to 75 microns and to 120 microns from December 31, 2022. This has been done to stop littering due to lightweight plastic carry bags and allow reuse of plastic carry due to an increase in thickness, according to officials.