BANNED PLASTIC?

Single use plastic The story so far:

A ban on the use of single-use plastics that was notified by the Union Environment Ministry on August 2021 came into effect on July 1 this year.

● The notification said national and State-level control rooms would be set up to check illegal manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of banned single use plastic items.

● The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, will also prohibit manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of plastic carry bags having thickness less than 120 microns with effect from December 31, 2022 What is single-use plastic?

● The Centre defines it as an object made of plastic that is intended to be used “only once” before being disposed off or recycled.

● For the purposes of the ban, there is a list of 21 items that come under the definition of single-use plastic

● According to the Environment Protection (EP) Act, violating the ban could invite “punitive action”.

● Manufacturers and distributors of single-use plastic goods were directed to have zero inventory by www.gesreporter.com Page 15 GES Reporter June 30, according to officials in the Union Environment Ministry.

● The EP Act says that violating the ban could invite a five-year imprisonment and a fine of upto ?1 lakh, or both. If the violations are repeated, it could mean additional fines up to ?5000 for each day.

● There are different penalties for companies, organisations, and government departments under the EP Act.

● Fast Moving Consumer Goods companies (FMCG) would be severely affected by the the ban due to their dependence on plastic straws, plates.