No single use plastic from July 1

 India is going to ban the manufacturing the imports, stocking, distribution, sale and use of identified single use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential. This would be practical from the coming 1st of July, says the ministry of environment, forest and climate change. There would be national and state level control rooms for checking illegal manufacturing, imports, sales and the use of banned single use plastics. The list of items banned would be ear buds with plastic sticks, cups, glasses, cutlery, ice cream sticks, forks, spoons, knifes, straws, trays, sweet boxes, cigarette packets, plastic bags under than 100 microns and stirrers. Polythene bags under 75 microns were banned in September 2021 itself. 

The guidelines will provide framework to strengthen circular economy of plastic packaging waste, promote development of new alternatives to plastic packaging and provide steps to move towards sustainable plastic packaging by businesses. The government has now decide to ban plastic bags under 120 microns from the coming December 31. Companies says that making a ban on such items would lead companies to import materials from other countries which would increase their costs, and also stated that it would also kill the employment of more than 2 lakh people in the country. Action Alliance for Recycling beverage Cartons (AARC), which represents Coca-Cola, PepsiCo India, Parle Argo, Dabur, Diago, Radico Khaitan would lead to losses of more than 3000 crores in sales for the industry. There would be supply chain constraints at the moment, but as it is for the good of the environment and for a sustainable development, it would be beneficial to the society in the long run.