GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 880
TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2022
Plastic Pollution
880. SHRI PRASUN BANERJEE:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

(a) the steps taken by the Government to stop the plastic pollution; and

(b) whether the Government has any policy to introduce gunny bags instead of plastic bags for storing food grains?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) and (b): The Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, as amended, provide the

statutory framework for plastic waste management in an environmentally sound manner

throughout the country. The Rules prohibits manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale

and use of carry bags and plastic sheets less than fifty microns in thickness in the country.

There is complete ban on sachets using plastic material used for storing, packing or selling

gutkha, tobacco and pan masala. The Rules also provide measures for recycling of plastic

waste and its end of life disposal in an environmentally sound manner.

Considering the adverse effect on littered single use plastic items on terrestrial,

aquatic and marine ecosystems, the Ministry has notified the Plastic Waste Management

Amendment Rules, 2021, vide GSR NO. 571 (E) on 12th August 2021, in the Gazette of

India, prohibiting identified single use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering

potential, by 1st July 2022.

As far as, plastic carry bags are concerned, the Plastic Waste Management

Amendment Rules, 2021, prohibits manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use

of plastic carry bags having thickness less than seventy five microns with effect from 30th

September, 2021, and having thickness less thanthickness of one hundred and twenty microns

with effect from the 31st December, 2022.Further, over and above the Plastic Waste

Management Rules, 2016, thirty four states/UTs have issued notifications/orders to introduce

regulations pertaining to complete or partial ban on plastic carry bags and/or identified

single-use plastic items.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified the draft

Regulations on the Extended Producer Responsibility for plastic packaging under Plastic

Waste Management Rules, 2016, as amended from time to time, in the Gazette of India vide

GSR No. 722 (E) on 6th October, 2021for public consultation. As per the draft notification,

the producer, Importers &brand-owners respectively shall ensure minimum level of recycling

(excluding end of life disposal) of plastic packaging waste collected under Extended Producer

Responsibility. The enforceable prescription of minimum level of recycling of plastic

packaging waste collected under Extended Producer Responsibility to producer, Importers

&brand-owners in the draft notification will further strengthen circular economy of plastic

packaging waste.

Bags made of alternative materials to plastic such as jute has been used for packaging

food grains. The Jute Packaging Materials (Compulsory Use in packaging Commodities) Act,

1987 authorize the Government of India to reserve certain commodities or class of

commodities for compulsory packaging in jute packaging material in the interest of jute

economy. During the Jute Year 2020 – 2021, food grains and sugar were reserved for

packaging in jute material.