Plastic Ban: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on 28 June has notified that government will ban single-use plastic across the country from July 1.
“India will ban manufacturing, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of single-use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential, all across the country from July 1, 2022”, the ministry said in a statement.
Plastic is a non-degradable item, and the government took this step concerning the increasing pollution due to the excessive use of plastic. Government addresses the adverse impact of littered single-use plastic on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Here is the list of single-use products banned in India
- Earbuds with plastic sticks
- Plastic sticks for balloons
- Ice-creams sticks
- Polystyrene (Thermocol) for decoration
- Plastic plates, cups, glasses and other cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straws, trays,
- Wrapping or packing sheets
- Invitation cards
- Cigarette packets
- PVC banners less than 100 microns stirrer
How plastic ban will impact shopkeepers?
With the effect of the plastic ban, the shopkeepers may no longer provide plastic bags and other single-use plastic items to customers. It will likely save the cost of free plastic bags, but on the other hand, they may see fewer sales as customers will take time to opt the habit of bringing carry bags with them and shopkeepers have to say ‘No’ to selling items to customers without carrying bag.
Besides this, beverage manufacturers and industries also have to face the consequences. They had petitioned the government to allow a gradual phasing out of plastic straws for small packs of juice, fizzy drinks and milk-based beverages.
Companies said the imposition of a ban on plastic would lead to several challenges. Making arrangements for an alternative will take time, such as importing paper straws, and it will also increase the cost.
Also Read: India Facing Most Challenging Economic Situation
What are the alternatives to plastic?
There are alternatives to plastic items. Plastic bags can be replaced with paper or cloth bags. Clay, paper, leaf, or glass plates and other cutlery items can be used in place of plastic cutlery. Glass bottles are also a healthy alternative to plastic bottles.
