As the deadline for complete restriction of single-use plastic is approaching, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has started taking action against manufacturers and sellers in and around city. Last year, vide the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, the Central Government had issued a notification prohibiting identified single-use plastic items by July 2022. With the deadline approaching, the MPCB has started contacting manufacturers of plastic goods of neighbouring areas and other states to stop manufacturing and sale of single-use plastic. “We have talked to manufacturers and started sensitising them about the complete ban on single-use plastic. We instructed them to stop production and sale of such plastic items in and around Nagpur city,” Anand Katole, Sub-Regional Officer, MPCB, told The Hitavada. Though the sale and use of single-use plastic is already banned in Maharashtra, the manufacturers of other States got chance to sell their products in the city. However, after the deadline, no one can manufacture and sell such products anywhere in the country.

 

“The Board will start taking action against manufacturers after July. Till then, we will continue conducting awareness campaigns. We are also encouraging manufacturers to manufacture plastic items above 75 micron, which is the permissible limit,” said Katole. The thickness of plastic carry-bags will be increased from 50 microns to 75 microns from September 30, 2021, and to 120 microns from December 31, 2022. The manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of following single-use plastic including polystyrene and expanded polystyrene, commodities shall be prohibited with effect from July 1, 2022. Ear buds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, 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 micron, stirrers etc., will be banned from July 1, 2022.

 

The Centre has asked the States/UTs to constitute a Special Task Force for elimination of single use plastics and effective implementation of Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016. According to a fact sheet released by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and environment ministry in 2018, around 43% of manufactured plastics are used for packaging purpose and most are of single-use. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) estimated that each person in India uses about 9.7 kg of plastics annually, most of which is packaging related. If consumption patterns and waste management practices are not improved, by 2050 there will be around 12 million metric tonnes of plastic litter in landfills and in the environment.