GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 2442
TO BE ANSWERED ON: 24.03.2022
Government support for ban on single use plastics
2442. SHRI AKHILESH PRASAD SINGH:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

(a) whether it is a fact that Government has decided to impose nationwide ban on single  use plastics, if so, from when this ban will come into force;

(b) whether any Governmental support for upgradation has been envisaged for the manufacturers of single use plastics in the event of its ban, if so, the details thereof;and

(c) in what manner the affected work-force will be recompensed after imposing complete ban on single use plastics

ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, on 12th August 2021, prohibiting manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of the following identified single use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential with effect from the 1st July, 2022:

(i) ear buds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene [Thermocol] for decoration;

(ii) plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, and cigarette packets, plastic orc banners less than 100 micron, stirrers. The notification also 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 than thickness of one hundred and twenty microns with effect from the 31st December, 2022.

(b) and (c):The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change had shared indicative template of comprehensive action plan for elimination of identified single use plastic items with the State and UT Governments and concerned ministries which inter alia included thematic areas on (i) development of schemes for providing assistance in setting up manufacturing capacities of alternatives including for enterprises transitioning away from single use plastics, (ii) providing assistance to units manufacturing alternatives to prohibited single use plastic items, and (iii) providing assistance to units manufacturing prohibited single use plastic items for technology conversion.

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) is providing support to enterprises under various schemes of the Ministry, with respect to technology up-gradation, creating awareness, marketing support, infrastructural support and for adopting alternatives to identified single use plastics, as per scheme guidelines.