A new report from the officials suggest that the Centre is all set to impose a nationwide ban on plastic bags, cups as well as straws on October 2, in an attempt to recover its rank from among the world’s most polluted.
India To Ban Single-Use Plastic Products From October 2
The officials from the government on Wednesday also suggested that at least 6 out all the single-use plastics is going to be banned from October.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a leading effort to scrap such plastics by the year 2022, is all set to launch the campaign with a ban on as many as six items on October 2, which also marks the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
At least six items to get ban comprises of plastic bags, cups, plates, small bottles, straws as well as some types of sachets, said the officials.
“The ban will be comprehensive and will cover manufacturing, usage and import of such items,” one official said.
In the meantime, the environment along with the housing ministries, who are the two main ministries leading the drive, did not responded to emails from Reuters in order to seek any comment.
Also, PM Modi, during an Independence Day speech on August 15, had also urged people as well as the government agencies in order to “take the first big step” on October 2 in the direction of releasing the nation of single-use plastic.
From the past many years, plastic pollution has been a major concern for environmental protection which has been growing worldwide. Specially, the particular focus or concern regarding plastic pollution is on the oceans, where approximately 50% of single-use plastic products end up, killing marine life as well as entering the human food chain and it has been proven by many studies and reports.
The European Union are making the strategies to ban single-use plastic items like straws, forks, knives as well as cotton buds by the year 2021.
On the other hand, China’s commercial hub of Shanghai is also progressively reining in use of single-use plastics in catering, as well as its island province of Hainan has previously sworn to totally eradicate single-use plastic by 2025.
The ban on the first six items of single-use plastics is also going to clip 5% to 10% from yearly consumption of India for about 14 million tonnes of plastic, as per to the first official.
The officials also added that the penalties for violations of the ban is also likely going to take effect after an early six-month period to let people time in order to adopt alternatives.
In some of the states, the officials have already banned polythene bags.
The government on the other hand is also going to plan tougher environmental standards for plastic products and are going to maintain on the use of recyclable plastic only, the first source said.
The officials also further added that it is going to ask e-commerce companies in order to cut back on plastic packaging that nearly makes up 40% of the country’s yearly plastic consumption.
