On June 28, Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav unveiled the ban on “SUP” Single-Use-Plastic in India from July 1.
“Government has given enough time to switch away from single-use plastic,” Bhupender Yadav said.
On Tuesday, the Centre announced that India will ban the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of identified single-use plastic items with low utility and high littering potential from July 1, 2022.
What is SUP Single-Use-Plastic?
Single-use plastic is those plastic items that can be used only once before they are thrown away.
List of SUP items getting ban
The single-use plastic items which are getting banned includes – earbuds with plastic sticks, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, polystyrene (Thermocol) for decoration, plastic cups and plates, plastic glasses, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packing films cutlery such as forks, spoons, around sweet boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners less than 100 micron, stirrers.
Plastic manufacturing industries raising questions
According to All India Plastics Manufacturers’ Association director-general Deepak Ballani, The key focus should be plastic management, the importance which can reduce the carbon footprint and will be less harmful to the environment.
Deepak Ballani said, “We also want Clean India and are ready to transition. But why not focus on the root of the problem – plastic waste. We need to improve waste segregation at the source level, and amp up our recycling infrastructure.”
The real challenge is not just to worry about the already manufactured items existing in the market. The real issue is to search for an alternative to plastic which can be used in excess amounts without worrying about the consequences and can be budget-friendly for both industries and for common people.
Furthermore, alternative for those products which are contained in plastic to prevent moisture and an alternative which can hold heavy weight better than a cellophane sheet.
Government‘s message for every individual
“The adverse impacts of littered single-use plastic items plastic on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, including in marine environment are globally recognized. Addressing pollution due to single-use plastic items has become an important environmental challenge confronting all countries,” Bhupender Yadav said.
The environment ministry said that there will be a separate enforcement team to investigate or check periodically on national or state-level factories. If any illegal manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of banned single-use plastic items is going on.
Union Territories have also been asked to come up with an investigative team which can control and stop the illegal inter-state movement of banned single-use plastic items.
According to Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, plastic carry bags which has a thickness of fewer than seventy-five microns are banned from manufacturing, importing, stocking, distributing, selling or using. Furthermore, it will increase to the thickness of one hundred and twenty microns from December 31, 2022.
Delhi government along with the environment department are organising a three-day campaign to encourage people to stop using plastics and support the ban on Single-Use-Plastic. In the campaign anyone can participate, there will be a poster-making competition around the theme of plastic ban, anyone including residents, companies or NGOs can participate and give innovative solutions on alternatives to SUP. A quiz will be held in which participants have to prepare a presentation in the given time which is 4 minutes and the name of the quiz will be “Think-o-vation” along with video messages.
Using Single-Use-Plastic is a real concern to our environment and animal life as well. The government has taken some steps by banning Single-Use-Plastic in India which can be a game-changer.
